Key gauges continue to trade lower in morning deals

Indian equity benchmarks continued to trade lower in morning deals, as persistent foreign fund outflows from the Indian equity markets and slowdown in corporate earnings continued to hurt investors' sentiment. According to exchange data, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 4,294.69 crore on Friday. The total outflow by FPIs has reached Rs 99,299 crore -- near Rs 1 lakh crore -- in 2025 so far. Traders overlooked Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement that the country remains the fastest-growing large economy while keeping inflation under control. He projected a steady growth economic growth of 6 to 8 per cent in upcoming years owing to government policies that prioritize the welfare of lower-income and middle-income families including the major tax relief given this year for annual income up to Rs 12 lakh. On the global front, Asian markets are trading higher as AI optimism boosted technology shares across the region, while other investors remained cautious due to tensions between the US and European Union over tariffs and the war in Ukraine. 

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 75470.66, down by 468.55 points or 0.62% after trading in a range of 75294.76 and 75730.01. There were 10 stocks advancing against 20 stocks declining on the index.

The broader indices were trading in red; the BSE Mid cap index fell 0.94%, while Small cap index was down by 1.53%.

The lone gaining sectoral index on the BSE were Healthcare up by 0.08%, while Industrials down by 1.58%, Capital Goods down by 1.46%, Realty down by 1.41%, Telecom down by 1.32% and TECK down by 1.26% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Bajaj Finserv up by 1.95%, Sun Pharma up by 1.19%, Asian Paints up by 1.06%, Zomato up by 0.97% and Indusind Bank up by 0.96%. On the flip side, Mahindra & Mahindra down by 3.60%, ICICI Bank down by 1.67%, Bharti Airtel down by 1.53%, Axis Bank down by 1.20% and Tata Steel down by 1.15% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, highlighting India's economic strength, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the country remains the fastest-growing large economy while keeping inflation under control. He projected a steady growth economic growth of 6 to 8 per cent in upcoming years owing to government policies that prioritize the welfare of lower-income and middle-income families including the major tax relief given this year for annual income up to Rs 12 lakh.

Recently, Vaishnaw informed about a major investment of over Rs 10000 crore in India from Lam Research, a US-based semiconductor services company. The investment is expected to add significant boost to India's semiconductor ambitions, which aims to build a sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem in the country. The government has approved five projects under Indian Semiconductor Mission, with an outlay of Rs 76000 crore.

The Indian semiconductor market is estimated to grow to $103.4 billion by 2030, driving the electronics market to grow to $400 billion. The government's targeted incentives for fabrication facilities and outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing increased R & D investments, and collaborative industry initiatives are key to propelling India's semiconductor sector forward.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 22805.50, down by 123.75 points or 0.54% after trading in a range of 22725.45 and 22874.75. There were 18 stocks advancing against 32 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Bajaj Finserv up by 2.13%, Sun Pharma up by 1.34%, Asian Paints up by 0.95%, SBI Life Insurance up by 0.94% and Indusind Bank up by 0.78%. On the flip side, Mahindra & Mahindra down by 3.16%, Hindalco down by 1.93%, ICICI Bank down by 1.82%, Bharat Electronics down by 1.74% and Hero MotoCorp down by 1.60% were the top losers. 

All Asian markets are trading higher; Nikkei 225 surged 58.84 points or 0.15% to 39,208.27, Taiwan Weighted added 303.45 points or 1.31% to 23,456.06, Hang Seng advanced 41.57 points or 0.18% to 22,661.90, KOSPI increased 15.28 points or 0.59% to 2,606.33, Straits Times rose 17.87 points or 0.46% to 3,895.37, Jakarta Composite gained 141.57 points or 2.13% to 6,780.03 and Shanghai Composite strengthened 2.13 points or 0.06% to 3,348.85.