Indian Stock Market Overview

On Friday, the Indian equity benchmark indices, BSE Sensex and Nifty50, opened with minimal changes. The BSE Sensex hovered above 74,300, while the Nifty50 was near 22,550. By 9:18 AM, the BSE Sensex was trading at 74,362.16, marking a slight increase of 22 points or 0.030%. Similarly, the Nifty50 was at 22,569.55, up by 25 points or 0.11%.

Global Influences and Market Sentiments

The positive momentum from the previous day continued, influenced by favorable global indicators. This was after US President Donald Trump granted auto manufacturers a one-month exemption from 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Market analysts are cautiously optimistic, anticipating stability in the coming days while closely monitoring international developments.

Expert Analysis

Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, shared his insights, suggesting that the markets are taking Trump's tariff decisions seriously. He believes that the recent actions indicate a preference for negotiation over long-term high tariffs. The softening of the dollar index is seen as positive news for India, with the country's growth recovery and fair stock market valuations encouraging increased buying from retail, HNI, and UHNI investors.

Global Market Trends

US equities closed lower, with Nasdaq entering a correction phase, amidst concerns over US trade policy uncertainties. Asian stocks also declined, following Wall Street's downturn, with significant drops in Australian and Japanese markets. Meanwhile, gold prices slightly decreased but maintained a weekly gain, reflecting investor caution ahead of the US non-farm payrolls data release.

Investment Trends

Foreign portfolio investors recorded net sales, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) showed net purchases, indicating a complex investment landscape influenced by global and domestic factors.