Markets in Negative Territory: Sensex Down 0.45 per cent, Nifty Drops 0.41 per cent Ahead of U.S. Tariff Clarity

About 1,147 stocks are advancing as against 1,598 stocks that are declining, thus indicating a negative market breadth in the broader market.

Market Update at 2:30 PM: In the current trading session, the benchmark indices were seen losing their midday day gains, with the Sensex tumbling by 0.45 per cent, while Nifty slipped by 0.41 per cent, as the market is currently witnessing some profit booking after the recent gains.

On March 28, small and midcap stocks saw marginal losses, dragging broader market indices into negative territory. Investors are waiting for clarity on U.S. tariffs next week; President Trump indicated not all tariffs to be imposed on April 2, 2025. The Nifty Small-cap index declined by almost 0.52 per cent, while the Nifty Mid-cap index was down over 0.20 per cent during mid-day trade.

Meanwhile, the India VIX was trading near the 12.5 mark, down by 3.4 per cent.

Five out of 17 sectors were trading in the green, with Nifty FMCG (+0.53 per cent) and Nifty Finance (+0.22 per cent) leading the gains and emerging as the top-performing sectors. 

ONGC, Tata Consumer and Kotak Bank are among the Top Gainers, while Indusind Bank, Wipro and Shriram Finance are among the top losing stocks from the Nifty 50.

About 1,147 stocks are advancing as against 1,598 stocks that are declining, thus indicating a negative market breadth in the broader market.

Market Update at 12:30 PM: Indian benchmark indices traded flat with marginal losses on Friday, dragged by IT and auto stocks as uncertainty over U.S. reciprocal tariffs that are to be announced next week made investors cautious.

By midday, the Nifty 50 was trading with losses, down 15 points from its previous close, trading above the 23,500 mark with losses of 0.06 per cent. Similarly, the Sensex trading is trading lower with a loss of 33 points or 0.05 per cent. The Bank Nifty mirrored the intraday performance of benchmark indices and is down by 0.12 per cent. Meanwhile, the India VIX was trading near the 12.5 mark, down by 5 per cent, indicating decreased volatility in the Indian market.

By midday, the top gaining stocks that lifted Nifty 50 higher are Reliance Industries (+17.9 pts), ICICI Bank (+12.17 pts) and Kotak Bank (+11.93 pts). On the other hand, HDFC Bank (-21.2 pts), Infosys (-16.79 pts) and HDFC Bank (-13.13 pts) were dragging the index down.

Nifty broke a five-month losing streak, gaining 4.6 per cent in the March derivatives series.

On Friday, overall market breadth remained neutral, as 1,482 stocks advanced while 1,213 declined. The Nifty Mid-Cap 100 and Nifty Small-Cap 100 indices were trading marginally higher, up by 0.29 per cent and 0.39 per cent, respectively.

On the sectoral front, 5 out of 17 sectors recorded gains, with Nifty Oil & Gas rising 1 per cent. , while Nifty IT (-1 per cent) and Nifty Pharma (-1 per cent) were the top-losing sectors.

Market Update at 10:25 AM: Indian benchmark indices declined on Friday, weighed down by losses in IT and auto stocks, as investor sentiment turned cautious ahead of the upcoming U.S. reciprocal tariff announcements next week.

At 10:15 a.m., the benchmark indices were trading in negative territory; Sensex slipped to the by 140 points or 0.18 per cent, while Nifty 50 traded above the 23,500 mark, down by 70 points or 0.29 per cent. 

Other Asian markets fell, dragged by auto stocks, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on automotive imports, due to kick in next week. Trump is set to introduce retaliatory tariffs on April 2, though the U.S. administration has suggested that some tariffs may not be imposed.

On the sectoral front, 7 out of 17 sectors recorded gains, with Oil & Gas stocks leading the gains while IT stocks dragged the index down. 

In today’s trade, India VIX slipped below 13 mark, down by 3.8 per cent, indicating a decrease in market volatility.

About 1,808 stocks are advancing against 886 declining stocks, thus indicating a positive sentiment in the broader market.

Pre-Market Update at 7:45 AM: Indian stock market indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to start lower on Friday, influenced by weak global cues as concerns over trade and tariff conflicts weighed on investor sentiment. Gift Nifty was hovering near 23,758, trading at a slight discount of about 20 points compared to the previous close of Nifty futures. This suggests a subdued opening for the Indian stock market indices.

The US stock market closed lower on Thursday as investors reacted to the latest trade tariff announcement by US President Donald Trump. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.37 per cent to settle at 42,299.70, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.33 per cent to finish at 5,693.31. The Nasdaq also declined, ending the session 0.53 per cent lower at 17,804.03.

The U.S. economy expanded at an annualised rate of 2.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, slightly higher than the previously estimated 2.3 per cent, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ final GDP estimate. This follows a 3.1 per cent growth rate recorded in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, which excludes food and energy, was revised down to 2.6 per cent. Corporate after-tax profits surged 5.9 per cent in the fourth quarter, marking the strongest increase in over two years.

In the labor market, initial unemployment claims declined by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 224,000 for the week ending March 22. This was slightly below economists’ forecasts of 225,000 claims. The unemployment rate for March is expected to remain stable.

In Japan, core inflation in Tokyo remained above the central bank’s target, with consumer prices excluding fresh food rising 2.4 per cent year-on-year in March, surpassing market expectations of 2.2 per cent. This was an acceleration from February’s 2.2 per cent increase. A separate index, which excludes both fresh food and fuel, showed a 2.2 per cent rise, up from 1.9 per cent in the previous month.

Asian markets moved lower on Friday, tracking losses from Wall Street overnight as investors grew cautious about impending reciprocal tariffs. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 1.41 per cent, while the Topix index declined 1.55 per cent. In South Korea, the Kospi shed 1.54 per cent. Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index suggested a weaker start.

Brent crude slipped 0.07 per cent to USD 73.25 per barrel, while US WTI crude futures edged up 0.19 per cent to USD 69.66.

The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against a group of major peers, eased by 0.04 per cent to 103.92. Its recent strength was driven by expectations of new tariffs, while USD/INR was trading at 85.67.

On Thursday, the Indian stock market continued its upward momentum, with benchmark indices closing higher on the expiry day of the March derivatives series. The Sensex advanced by 317.93 points, or 0.41 per cent, to settle at 77,606.43, while the Nifty 50 climbed 105.10 points, or 0.45 per cent, to end at 23,591.95.

On March 27, 2025, foreign institutional investors (FII) bought shares worth Rs 11,111.25 crore, the highest buying since September 2024, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought shares worth Rs 2,517.70 crore.

There are not any stocks banned for trading in the F&O segment on March 28, 2025.

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