Sensex & Nifty Start Flat As Political Tensions Influence Market Sentiment

The Indian equity indices opened almost flat on Thursday, May 8, 2025, as geopolitical tensions following ‘Operation Sindoor’ continued to influence investor sentiment.

By 9:26 AM, the Sensex was up by 25 points, reaching 80,772, while the Nifty was down by 3 points, standing at 24,410.

Sectoral Performance

While the broader indices saw minimal movement, there was some buying interest in large-cap and mid-cap stocks.

The Nifty Midcap 100 index rose by 166 points, or 0.30%, reaching 54,445, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index gained 132 points, or 0.81%, reaching 16,550.

Among the sectoral indices, stocks in the auto, IT, PSU bank, financial services, media, energy, and private banking sectors were trading in positive territory.

On the other hand, pharma, FMCG, metal, realty, and infrastructure sectors were experiencing losses.

Global Market Trends & Domestic Outlook

Asian markets saw a positive opening, mirroring the overnight gains in US markets.

This upward trend provided some optimism for domestic markets as well, with analysts expecting a steady positive start for Indian equities despite the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions.

“However, market participants will also be watching closely for reactions to Jerome Powell’s statement on higher tariffs, following the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged,” said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research) at Mehta Equities.

Stock Movers

Among the top gainers in the Sensex pack were Tata Motors, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Power Grid, Axis Bank, Adani Ports, Bajaj Finance, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finserv, IndusInd Bank, SBI, and Tech Mahindra.

Conversely, stocks such as ITC, Maruti Suzuki, HDFC Bank, Tata Steel, Sun Pharma, and ICICI Bank were among the biggest losers.

Analysts are closely watching the potential impact of upcoming trade discussions between the US and China.

“The street will now hope for some fruitful trade discussions between the US and China when they meet this weekend. Technically, Nifty’s biggest support is seen only at the 24,171 mark,” Tapse added.

Most Asian stocks showed marginal gains. Key indices in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Seoul were trading in the green, while Bangkok and Jakarta were in the red.

Meanwhile, the US markets closed with gains in the previous session, fueled by increasing hopes for de-escalation in the US-China trade conflict.

Media reports also indicated that US President Donald Trump was expected to announce a major trade deal with the UK soon, further contributing to positive global market sentiment.

Also Read: Markets Recover After Volatile Start; Sensex, Nifty End In Green On Global Optimism