Indian stock markets opened flat on Thursday, marking a cautious start to the final trading session of the week, with markets closed on Friday for the Independence Day holiday.
The Nifty 50 index opened at 24,607.25, down 12.10 points or 0.05 per cent, while the BSE Sensex started at 80,625.52, gaining 85.61 points or 0.11 per cent. Broader market indices showed mixed trends, with the Nifty 100 edging up 0.04 per cent, Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.25 per cent, and Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 0.18 per cent.
Sector-wise, Nifty IT, Pharma, and Realty opened in positive territory, while Auto, FMCG, Metal, PSU Bank, and Private Bank indices traded lower.
Experts said investors are closely tracking the upcoming weekend meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart. Market analyst Ajay Bagga told ANI that a truce at the meeting could trigger a relief rally next week. “India has much to gain from a truce at Alaska, as the reason for secondary tariffs on India will weaken. However, geoeconomics is more noise than signal, so any rally may be short-lived,” he said.
Bagga added that domestic factors such as economic growth and corporate earnings remain the key drivers. “Nominal GDP is expected to grow around 10 per cent, but the slowdown in corporate earnings and challenges faced by small and mid-sized companies could delay a market recovery,” he noted. He also said the RBI had missed an opportunity to stimulate growth through further rate cuts despite easing inflation.
Globally, markets in Japan, Australia, Germany, and the US are trading at record highs. In contrast, Indian equities have fallen by about 1 per cent over the past 12 months. While the overall setup is seen as favourable for a recovery, experts say the economy and earnings must show strength before a sustained uptrend can take hold.
-ANI
