Indian stock markets opened lower on Wednesday, influenced by mixed global cues and concerns over new US tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. The BSE Sensex fell at the start of the trading session, opening at 75,787.27 points. Similarly, the Nifty 50 at the National Stock Exchange (NSE) opened in the red at 22,847.25 points.
During the opening hour, 788 stocks advanced, 1,403 stocks declined, and 147 shares remained unchanged. On the NSE, major gainers included Tata Consumer, HCL Tech, NTPC, JSW Steel, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. In contrast, Dr.
Reddy’s Labs, Cipla, Apollo Hospitals, ICICI Bank, and Trent were among the top losers.
Indian markets influenced by tariff concerns
According to market analysts, volatility is expected to remain high due to ongoing concerns over US tariff-related issues.
We see a challenge to markets from the rapid cross-currents of geopolitical risk, tariff wars, competitive currency devaluations, and stubborn inflation, which could worsen due to policy protectionism,” said Ajay Bagga, a market and banking expert. He added, “We see further downsides rather than a recovery in Indian stocks and FPI flows,” noting the patterns of foreign investment. For now, Indian markets are in a tight pattern, with a higher probability of a near-term breakdown due to sustained FPI selling pressures,” Bagga observed.
Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities, commented on market trends: “Yesterday, the Nifty’s opening slump ran into support in the 22,700 – 22,800 area and reversed, highlighting the importance of this zone. Each of the past three trading days has shown buyer activity, but bulls need to push the benchmark above the recent swing top of 23,235 to signal an extended recovery. Until then, weakness is likely to prevail despite currently depressed sentiment.”
In the opening hour, pharma stocks were under pressure following President Trump’s reiteration of a 25 percent tariff on the sector.
However, defense stocks showed a recovery in the broader market.
Image Credits: Photo by Rajkamal rk on Unsplash
