Indian stocks started the week with minimal movement amid global uncertainties, with investors selectively shifting positions across sectors as foreign and domestic fund flows diverge and global markets remain mixed.
Indian shares opened almost unchanged on Monday as investors weighed mixed global signals and remained selective ahead of the week’s next set of market cues. The BSE Sensex began at 78,501.59, just above its previous close, while the Nifty 50 started at 24,581.25, edging higher in early trade.
Sector performance was uneven. Public sector banks led the decline, with the Nifty PSU Bank index among the weakest performers, while financial services, oil and gas, FMCG, banking and realty also slipped. By contrast, auto, information technology, pharmaceuticals and metals found some support, suggesting rotation rather than broad selling at the open.
Among individual stocks, Titan and Tech Mahindra were early gainers, alongside Tata Steel, Cipla and Grasim. On the losing side, State Bank of India was one of the steepest drags on the Nifty, with HDFC Life, Adani Ports, Power Grid and UltraTech Cement also under pressure. Moneycontrol’s live index and stock pages for Sensex, Nifty 50, PSU banks, Titan, Tech Mahindra and SBI point to the same sectoral split seen at the opening bell.
Foreign investors stayed cautious in derivatives even as domestic institutions continued buying, according to the market update. Overseas funds trimmed their index futures long exposure and ended with a small net sell position across cash and derivatives, while domestic funds posted a third straight day of purchases. Global markets offered a mixed backdrop: US equities rose on Friday, the dollar weakened, and European shares hovered near record highs, but Brent crude climbed above $84 a barrel, keeping pressure on import-sensitive stocks. The rupee, meanwhile, had strengthened for a second week and gold and silver prices moved higher in domestic trade.
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