Sensex Falls 67 Points, Nifty Near Flat; Defence and IT Indices Decline

Market Update at 12:30 PM: Stock markets remained volatile on Tuesday, oscillating between gains and losses through the trading session. At 12:00 PM, the BSE Sensex was trading at 80,823.25, down by 67 points or 0.08 per cent, while the Nifty50 hovered near the flat line at 24,675.65, lower by 5 points or 0.02 per cent.

Among Sensex constituents, Bharat Electronics, Eternal (Zomato), Infosys, Ultratech Cement, ICICI Bank, TCS, Titan Company, HDFC Bank, and Asian Paints were the Top Losers, with declines of up to 2 per cent. On the positive side, Sun Pharma, Reliance Industries (RIL), Kotak Bank, Tata Motors, Trent, HCL Tech, Power Grid, and HUL gained as much as 0.5 per cent.

In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap 100 index recovered from early weakness to trade 0.2 per cent higher, whereas the Nifty SmallCap 100 index was slightly down by 0.03 per cent. Sectoral performance showed mixed trends, with the Nifty Defence India index losing 1.6 per cent, the Nifty IT index falling 0.57 per cent, and the Nifty Financial Services index slipping 0.18 per cent. Conversely, the Nifty Metal index advanced 0.5 per cent, and the Nifty Realty index added 0.6 per cent.

Investors continued to monitor Quarterly Results, dividend announcements, and other corporate updates while navigating market swings.

Market Update at 10:30 AM: India's equity benchmarks traded lower on Tuesday, reflecting caution over a delayed interim trade deal with the United States, persistent foreign portfolio outflows, and subdued quarterly results.

The Nifty 50 fell 0.29 per cent to 24,609.65 points, while the BSE Sensex declined 0.33 per cent to 80,620.25 as of 9:15 a.m. IST. Among sectors, 15 of the 16 major indices opened in negative territory. The broader Mid-Cap and Small-Cap indices also recorded a 0.2 per cent decline each.

Trade negotiations between India and the United States remain stalled, primarily over tariff reductions for agriculture and dairy products. Hopes of an agreement before the August 1 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump have dimmed. On Monday, Trump reiterated that most trading partners without separate trade agreements could soon face U.S. tariffs ranging from 15 per cent to 20 per cent, significantly above the 10 per cent imposed in April.

Foreign portfolio investors continued their selling spree, offloading Indian equities worth Rs 60.81 billion (USD 700.92 million) on Monday, marking the biggest single-day selling since May 30. Market participants are closely watching for corporate earnings updates, IPO activity, and dividend announcements for direction.

Pre-Market Update at 7:45 AM: On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, GIFT Nifty indicated a negative start for the benchmark Nifty, trading near 24,666, down 38 points as of 7:20 AM. Mixed cues from global markets and caution ahead of the US Federal Reserve policy meeting are expected to keep sentiment muted.

Asian markets traded lower, while US indices ended mixed on Monday. The S&P 500 closed at 6,389.77, marking its sixth consecutive record close with a marginal 0.02 per cent gain. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.33 per cent to 21,178.58, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.14 per cent to 44,837.56.

Back home, the Indian market closed weaker on Monday as persistent selling by foreign portfolio investors and uncertainty surrounding India-US trade discussions weighed on sentiment. The Sensex declined by 572.07 points (0.70 per cent) to settle at 80,891.02, while the Nifty 50 lost 156.10 points (0.63 per cent) to close at 24,680.90. FIIs were net sellers for the sixth straight session, offloading equities worth Rs 6,082.47 crore, while DIIs remained net buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 6,764.55 crore. DIIs have been net buyers for 16 consecutive sessions.

Market participants are likely to focus on Q1FY26 results of Mazagon Dock, IndusInd Bank, and Waaree Energies announced post-market on Monday. Major companies scheduled to announce their quarterly results today include Larsen & Toubro, NTPC, Asian Paints, Varun Beverages, GMR Airports, GE Vernova TD India, Bank of India, Apar Industries, and Piramal Enterprises.

India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth slipped to a 10-month low of 1.5 per cent in June 2025, down from 4.9 per cent a year earlier, dragged by weak mining and power sector output. May 2025’s growth was revised upward to 1.9 per cent from the provisional 1.2 per cent.

In commodities, gold prices retreated as a stronger USD and reduced tariff concerns weighed on demand, with spot gold trading at USD 3,308.39 per ounce. Brent crude rose 0.09 per cent to USD 70.10 a barrel, and US WTI crude gained 0.06 per cent to USD 66.75.

For today, RBL Bank remain on the F&O ban list.

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