Sensex, Nifty 50 May Open 132 Points Lower; U.S. Markets Fall Amid 15% Tariff and U.S.-Iran Tensions

Pre-Market Update at 8:05 AM: Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 are likely to witness a gap-down opening on Tuesday, tracking weak global cues and rising geopolitical uncertainty. Gift Nifty was trading around the 25,590 level, a discount of nearly 132 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close, indicating a negative start for domestic equities.

Investor sentiment has turned cautious after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a decision to raise global tariffs to 15 per cent, reviving trade uncertainty and clouding the outlook for growth-sensitive assets. Adding to concerns, ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran are heightening geopolitical risks, keeping markets volatile and risk-averse. Persistent worries around artificial intelligence-led disruption are further dampening confidence.

On Monday, the Indian market had ended with strong gains after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down sweeping tariffs imposed earlier. The BSE Sensex rallied 479.95 points, or 0.58 per cent, to close at 83,294.66, while the Nifty 50 rose 141.75 points, or 0.55 per cent, to settle at 25,713.00.

Stock-specific action is expected to continue on February 24, 2026. Bharti Airtel plans to capitalise its Airtel Money NBFC with Rs 20,000 crore, with 70 per cent contribution from Airtel and 30 per cent from Bharti Enterprises. Chalet Hotels has approved an investment of Rs 632.8 crore for a 330-room luxury hotel project in Hyderabad. Patel Engineering emerged as the lowest bidder for an irrigation project worth Rs 133.25 crore in Maharashtra. Samvardhana Motherson International inaugurated an automotive lighting plant in Sanand, Gujarat, in a joint venture with Marelli. RBL Bank received RBI approval for the reappointment of Chandan Sinha as Non-Executive Chairman for the period May 2026 to May 2029. Edelweiss Financial Services saw promoters exchange a 1 per cent stake worth Rs 118 crore via a bulk deal. For the day, SAIL remains in the F&O ban list, while Samaan Capital has exited the F&O ban.

On February 23, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers, purchasing equities worth Rs 3,483.70 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,292.24 crore. FIIs have snapped a two-session selling streak.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) 2.0, targeting Rs 10 lakh crore over the next five years. The revised pipeline outlines a total monetisation potential of Rs 16.72 lakh crore for FY2026–FY2030, including an estimated Rs 5.8 lakh crore in private sector investment through asset monetisation by central ministries and public sector enterprises.

U.S. equities ended sharply lower on Monday amid tariff uncertainty and AI-related concerns. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 821.91 points, or 1.66 per cent, to 48,804.06. The S&P 500 declined 71.76 points, or 1.04 per cent, to 6,837.75, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 258.80 points, or 1.13 per cent, to 22,627.27.

Among major stocks, Nvidia gained 0.91 per cent, while Microsoft fell 3.21 per cent. AMD slipped 1.77 per cent and Amazon declined 2.30 per cent. Apple edged up 0.60 per cent, whereas Tesla tumbled 2.91 per cent. Domino’s Pizza surged 4.1 per cent and PayPal advanced 5.8 per cent.

U.S. factory orders fell 0.7 per cent in December after a 2.7 per cent rise in November, dragged down by a sharp decline in commercial aircraft bookings. On a year-on-year basis, orders were still up 3.7 per cent.

China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged for the ninth straight month. The one-year Loan Prime Rate (LPR) remains at 3.0 per cent, while the five-year LPR stands at 3.5 per cent.

In commodities, gold slipped below USD 5,190 per ounce after four sessions of gains as traders reassessed tariff risks and geopolitical tensions. Spot silver declined 3.1 per cent to USD 85.50 per ounce. WTI crude oil futures edged lower to USD 66.48 per barrel ahead of possible U.S.-Iran talks.

Overall, a combination of renewed tariff concerns, geopolitical tensions and global market weakness signals a cautious and risk-off opening for Indian equities.

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