Indian stock markets ended lower on Friday, weighed down by rising global trade tensions following fresh tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Canadian imports.
Investor sentiment was also dented by a sharp selloff in IT stocks after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the first quarter (Q1) of FY25.
The Sensex dropped 689.81 points, or 0.83 per cent, to close at 82,500.47. Similarly, the Nifty index slipped 205.4 points, or 0.81 per cent, to settle at 25,149.85.
“The domestic market experienced a negative close due to a sober start to the Q1 earnings season and an escalation in tariff threats by the US to impose a 35 per cent tariff on Canada,” Vinod Nair of Geojit Financial Services said.
“Investors may continue to focus on quarterly earnings for a buy-on-dips strategy; however, in the near term, the current premium valuations and global headwinds like muted spending and tariff uncertainties may restrain fresh inflows,” he added.
Among the 30 stocks on the Sensex, TCS, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, HCL Technologies and Titan were among the top losers, declining up to 3.5 per cent.
On the positive side, Hindustan Unilever, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma, NTPC and Eternal were the top gainers.
Broader markets also came under pressure. The Nifty MidCap index declined 0.88 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index lost 1.02 per cent.
Sector-wise, IT and auto stocks were the biggest drags. Both the Nifty IT and Nifty Auto indices fell nearly 1.8 per cent each.
TCS’s disappointing quarterly numbers weighed heavily on the IT pack. Other sectors such as realty, oil & gas, media, energy, banking, metal, and consumer durables also ended in the red.
However, some pockets of the market remained resilient. The Nifty FMCG and Pharma indices closed with gains, lending some support to the overall market.
Experts noted that the markets traded under pressure on Friday, shedding over half a per cent, dragged down by weak cues.
“The session began on a negative note following disappointing results from IT major TCS, which worsened further due to profit-taking in heavyweight stocks across other sectors,” said Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking Limited.
He added that sentiment remained subdued due to ongoing uncertainty around tariff-related issues and a weak start to the earnings season.
Meanwhile, market volatility saw a slight uptick. The India VIX, which indicates investor sentiment and market volatility, rose 1.24 per cent to end at 11.81.
–IANS
