Indian Benchmark Indices Steady on Inflation Relief; Sensex, Nifty Up 0.17% Amid Mixed Sectoral Trends

Market Update at 12:15 PM: Indian stock markets held on to early gains on Tuesday, buoyed by easing retail inflation in June 2025 and broadly supportive global sentiment.

By mid-morning, the BSE Sensex had risen 140 points or 0.17 per cent to 82,392, while the Nifty 50 advanced 42 points or 0.17 per cent to trade at 25,125.

Top Gainers on the BSE included SBI, Sun Pharma, Kotak Mahindra Bank, BEL, M&M, and Bharti Airtel, each up by nearly 1 per cent. On the losing side, HCL Tech, Ultratech Cement, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, and Eternal (Zomato) declined by up to 4 per cent.

In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap index rose 0.33 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index edged 0.56 per cent higher. Sectorally, IT and Metal indices reversed early gains and were down 0.34 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively.

Market Update at 10:30 AM: Indian equity benchmarks opened on a flat note on Tuesday, with the Nifty 50 inching up 0.03 per cent to 25,089.5 points and the BSE Sensex slipping 0.02 per cent to 82,233.16 at 9:15 a.m. IST. 

HCL Technologies declined 1.8 per cent, emerging as the top loser on the Nifty 50 after it reported a lower-than-expected profit for the first quarter, impacted by margin pressure, even though its revenue surpassed estimates. Softer domestic inflation data improved market sentiment, helping nine out of the 13 sectoral indices open in the green.

Pre-Market Update at 7:45 AM: On Tuesday, July 15, the Nifty 50 and Sensex are expected to open on a flat note, reflecting mixed global cues and the ongoing Q1 FY26 earnings season. As of 7:20 AM, GIFT Nifty was trading at 25,169, up 17 points from its previous close, indicating a slightly positive start for the Indian markets. Asian equities traded with a mixed bias as investors remained cautious. In the US, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ended marginally higher on Monday as markets reacted to fresh tariff warnings from Donald Trump and awaited a heavy week of economic data and corporate earnings.

Back home, inflation data brought some relief. Retail inflation eased to 2.1 per cent in June, the lowest level since January 2019. Wholesale inflation turned negative at -0.13 per cent, marking its first contraction since October 2023, according to provisional government data released on Monday. Market participants will closely watch corporate results as over 50 companies are scheduled to announce Q1 earnings this week. Some of the key results due today include ICICI Lombard General Insurance, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, HDB Financial Services, Bank of Maharashtra, AWL Agri Business, Himadri Speciality Chemical, Network 18 Media & Investments and Just Dial.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers on Monday, offloading equities worth Rs 1,614.32 crore. In contrast, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) were net buyers, investing Rs 1,787.68 crore in Indian equities. Indian indices extended their decline for the fourth straight session on Monday due to weakness in IT stocks and foreign fund outflows. The BSE Sensex dropped 247.01 points or 0.30 per cent to close at 82,253.46 after falling as much as 490.09 points intraday. The NSE Nifty fell 67.55 points or 0.27 per cent to settle at 25,082.30.

In Asia, investors looked past trade-related uncertainties and focused on China’s upcoming GDP report. China's economy is expected to post Q2 growth slightly above its 5 per cent annual target. The country recorded a trade surplus of nearly USD 586 billion in the first half of 2025, with exports to the US showing signs of recovery. US stocks posted modest gains on Monday. The Dow rose 88.14 points or 0.20 per cent to 44,459.65. The S&P 500 gained 8.81 points or 0.14 per cent to 6,268.56, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 54.80 points or 0.27 per cent to 20,640.33.

Donald Trump warned of secondary tariffs of nearly 100 per cent on nations continuing trade with Russia unless the Ukraine conflict is resolved within 50 days. Gold prices eased slightly after touching a three-week high. Spot gold was trading at USD 3,350.97 per ounce, down 0.1 per cent, while silver surged to its highest level since September 2011. Crude oil prices slipped amid geopolitical concerns. Brent crude fell 5 cents to USD 69.16 per barrel, and WTI dropped 9 cents to USD 66.89.

For today, RBL Bank, Glenmark and Hindustan Copper remain on the F&O ban list.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.