Markets Begin Week Lower As Global Trends Stay Uneven

Indian benchmark indices opened on a weak note on Monday, tracking mixed global cues and a lack of strong domestic triggers.

Broader selling pressure was observed across sectors, with PSU banks being the only notable exception.

At 9:25 AM, the BSE Sensex was down 220 points (0.26%) at 83,718, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped 42 points (0.17%) to 25,679.

Despite the muted opening, broader markets outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.21% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 0.63%.

In sectoral performance, Nifty PSU Bank emerged as the top gainer, advancing 1.76%, driven by strong performances from SBI and Bank of Baroda. Nifty Metal rose 0.52%, and Nifty Media gained 0.39%.

Conversely, Nifty Consumer Durables was the major loser, down 0.83%, followed by FMCG (-0.35%) and IT (-0.33%).

Among major index movers, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and ONGC registered gains, while Maruti Suzuki, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, and Titan Company witnessed declines.

Analysts’ Take

Market analysts attributed the subdued opening to profit booking and renewed foreign institutional investor (FII) selling, which halted the recent rally toward record highs.

“FIIs have been consistently selling into rallies and reallocating capital to better-performing global markets,” analysts noted, adding that a sharp turnaround in corporate earnings could potentially reverse the trend.

They also pointed to steady demand in the automobile sector, particularly for small cars, which continues to outperform expectations and remains a key area of strength in the domestic economy.

Technical analysts identified immediate support for Nifty at 25,600–25,500 and resistance around 25,800–26,000.

Overseas, US markets ended in the green on Friday, buoyed by positive corporate earnings and easing rate concerns.

The Nasdaq rose 0.61%, the S&P 500 gained 0.26%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.09%.

In Asia, markets traded mixed during the morning session on Monday. Japan’s Nikkei surged 2.12% and South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.27%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.23%.

On the downside, China’s Shanghai Index slipped 0.08% and Shenzhen dropped 1.21%, reflecting cautious sentiment amid economic data concerns.

On Friday, FIIs were net sellers, offloading equities worth ₹6,769 crore, whereas domestic institutional investors (DIIs) extended their buying streak for the seventh consecutive session, purchasing shares worth ₹7,068 crore.

The opposing flows between foreign and domestic investors continue to shape market direction, with analysts suggesting that domestic buying may provide near-term support, even as global volatility and FII activity influence short-term trends.

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