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Indian equities opened on a subdued note on Friday, tracking mixed global signals
Sensex Today
Sensex Today: Equity markets ended their six-day winning run on Friday as profit-taking in banking, FMCG, and metal counters weighed on sentiment ahead of US Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium later tonight.
Globally, investors are awaiting cues on the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate trajectory, particularly in the backdrop of tariff-related concerns.
Back home, the BSE Sensex closed near the day’s low at 81,307, down 694 points (0.9%). The index touched an intraday low of 81,292, while its high of 81,994 was just shy of the previous close. The NSE Nifty50 slipped 214 points to settle at 24,870, after hitting a low of 25,859.
Despite Friday’s correction, both benchmarks ended the week in the green — the Sensex gained 709 points while the Nifty added 239 points over the week.
Among the Sensex constituents, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, and ITC fell around 2% each, while banking heavyweights Kotak Bank, HDFC Bank, and SBI lost nearly 1%. Reliance Industries also dragged the index lower.
The broader market mirrored the weakness but with milder cuts — the BSE MidCap dipped 0.2%, and the SmallCap index shed 0.3%. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea stood out, logging its biggest single-day rally in over four months on hopes of financial relief.
Commenting on the market action, Santosh Meena, Head of Research at Swastika Investmart, said: “The Nifty’s six-day winning streak ended due to lack of support from FIIs, who have refrained from significant cash market buying and continue to hold nearly 90% short positions in index futures. Market sentiment also remains cautious with the August 27 deadline for a possible 25% US tariff on India, coupled with global uncertainty around US economic data and the Fed’s rate outlook.”
From a technical standpoint, Meena noted that Nifty faces stiff resistance at 25,100–25,225, while 24,850–24,700 is a critical support zone. A break below could drag the index towards its 200-DMA at 24,050, signaling renewed bearish pressure.
Global Cues
Asian markets were largely positive as investors look for cues on the Fed’s policy path. South Korea’s KOSPI gained 1.06 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.13 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.33 per cent, while Australia’s ASX 200 slipped 0.11 per cent.
Overnight in the US, stocks ended lower ahead of Powell’s address. The S&P 500 dropped 0.4 per cent, the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.34 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.34 per cent.
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a…Read More
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a… Read More
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