Indices trade slightly in red in late morning deals

Indian equity markets altered between positive and negative terrains and were trading slightly in red in late morning deals on account of selling in Mahindra & Mahindra, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Maruti Suzuki, Eternal and Titan companies’ stocks. Traders were cautious amid persistent foreign fund outflows. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold equities worth nearly Rs 4,113.38 crore on January 23, 2026. However, losses remained capped as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the free trade agreement signed between India and the European Union a day earlier would deliver sweeping economic gains, calling it the mother of all deals and a landmark partnership between two of the world’s largest economies.

On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly in green following positive cues from the US markets overnight. Back home, on the BSE sectoral front, traders were seen piling up positions in Metal, Basic Materials, PSU, Oil & Gas and Energy, while selling was witnessed in Auto, Consumer Disc, Consumer Durables, Telecom and FMCG. 

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 81439.38, down by 98.32 points or 0.12% after trading in a range of 81088.59 and 81899.83. There were 12 stocks advancing against 18 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Metal up by 1.99%, Basic Materials up by 1.08%, PSU up by 0.79%, Oil & Gas up by 0.59% and Energy up by 0.45%, while Auto down by 1.48%, Consumer Disc down by 1.13%, Consumer Durables down by 0.97%, Telecom down by 0.51% and FMCG down by 0.47% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Axis Bank up by 5.36%, Adani Ports up by 2.81%, Ultratech Cement up by 2.14%, NTPC up by 1.77% and Tata Steel up by 1.36%. On the flip side, Mahindra & Mahindra down by 3.54%, Kotak Mahindra Bank down by 3.51%, Maruti Suzuki down by 2.40%, Eternal down by 2.20% and Titan down by 0.99% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, the Global Investment Trends Monitor, released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has stated that India's foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have increased by 73%, reaching $47 billion in 2025. This growth was primarily driven by large investments in services - including finance, IT, and R&D – along with manufacturing, supported by policies designed to integrate India into global supply chains. 

UNCTAD said FDI inflows to China declined for the third consecutive year, falling by 8 per cent to an estimated $107.5 billion. Global FDI inflows increased by 14% in 2025, reaching an estimated $1.6 trillion. It noted that data centres played a significant role in FDI trend in 2025, with a $125 billion increase in greenfield announcements and $30 billion in international project finance. The bulk of the growth was thus through greenfield investment, contrasting with the traditionally more important role of international project finance within the telecommunications sector. 

It further said India was among the top 10 major recipients of data centre investments in 2025 and added that foreign investment in data centres is concentrated in a handful of countries. France, ranked number 1, the United States (2) and the Republic of Korea (3) led as host countries, while emerging markets such as Brazil (4), India (7), and Malaysia (9) also attracted major projects. Total greenfield investment in data centres surpassed $270 billion, representing more than one-fifth of all investment projects. The leading host countries for these investments were France, the United States, and the Republic of Korea. Notably, emerging markets such as Brazil, Thailand, India, and Malaysia also ranked among the top ten hosts of data centre projects.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 25039.40, down by 9.25 points or 0.04% after trading in a range of 24932.55 and 25184.95. There were 24 stocks advancing against 26 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Axis Bank up by 5.72%, Adani Enterprises up by 4.58%, Adani Ports up by 2.65%, JSW Steel up by 2.59% and Grasim Industries up by 2.28%. On the flip side, Mahindra & Mahindra down by 3.65%, Kotak Mahindra Bank down by 3.52%, Maruti Suzuki down by 2.24%, Wipro down by 2.20% and Eternal down by 2.16% were the top losers. 

Asian markets were trading mostly in green; Nikkei 225 surged 379.75 points or 0.72% to 53,265.00, Taiwan Weighted added 225.42 points or 0.7% to 32,289.94, Shanghai Composite strengthened 21.09 points or 0.51% to 4,153.70, KOSPI increased 123.96 points or 2.5% to 5,073.55, Hang Seng advanced 360.48 points or 1.35% to 27,126.00 and Straits Times rose 38.98 points or 0.8% to 4,899.91. However, Jakarta Composite plunged 53.67 points or 0.6% to 8,921.66.