Markets likely to make flat-to-negative start amid weak global cues

Indian markets are likely to get flat-to-negative start on Tuesday amid weak global cues, as concerns mount over a prolonged disruption to energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Investors are likely to remain cautious ahead of the upcoming US inflation data for clues on the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook. However, some support may come amid foreign fund inflows. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their buying streak on August 10, purchasing Indian equities worth Rs 1,974.76 crore. 

Some of the key factors to be watched:

Govt mops up Rs 45,306 crore from disinvestment, asset monetisation in FY26; exceeds RE target: Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the government's combined mop-up from disinvestment and asset monetisation stood at Rs 45,306 crore in FY26, exceeding the Revised Estimates.

India's unemployment rate stays almost flat in April-June: The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) said the pace of joblessness as well as the ratio of workers' population in India stayed almost flat year-on-year during the April-June quarter of this fiscal, reflecting no sign of expansion or contraction in the country's job market.

Banks write off loans close to Rs 10 lakh crore given to large corporates in last 12 years: Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said banks have written off loans of Rs 9,95,000 crore given to large corporates and services in the last 12 financial years. Write-offs touched a high of Rs 1,48,753 crore in 2018-19, which declined to Rs 20,485 crore in 2025-26.

India, South Africa-led SACU group may ink terms of reference for negotiating trade pact on Aug 12: The report said India and South Africa-led SACU group are likely to sign terms of references (ToRs) on August 12 for starting negotiations for a preferential trade agreement (PTA). 

Defence accounts for about 15% of total procurement on GeM platform: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said orders placed through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) by the Military Affairs Department have crossed Rs 1.35 lakh crore, and defence accounts for nearly 15 per cent of the total procurement on the platform.

Global front: US markets ended lower on Monday on uncertainty about when the Strait of Hormuz could reopen and get the global flow of crude going again. Asian markets are trading mostly in red on Tuesday following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight. 

Back home, Indian equity benchmarks ended flat with positive bias after moving in a narrow range throughout the session on Monday, as encouraging corporate earnings lent support to broader sentiment. However, gains were limited amid a spike in crude oil prices on growing doubts that the U.S. and Iran will come to a lasting resolution to the conflict in the near term. Finally, the BSE Sensex rose 43.27 points or 0.06% to 78,542.44 and the CNX Nifty was up by 13.15 points or 0.05% to 24,583.80. 

Some of the important factors in trade: 

India’s FTA usage surges as Certificates of Origin more than double in FY27 so far: Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada has said that issuance of certificates of origin, a key document for exporters seeking duty benefits under free trade agreements (FTAs), has more than doubled from 3.6 lakh in 2021-22 to over 7.8 lakh in 2026-27 so far. 

Private sector investment witnessing steady and sustained growth: Economic Affairs Secretary Anuradha Thakur has said that private sector investment is witnessing steady and sustained growth, supported by the government’s continued focus on capital expenditure. 

NBFCs credit growth accelerates to 14.4% in June 2026: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest report has showed that non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) maintained a credit momentum in June 2026, with credit growth accelerating to 14.4%, well above the 11.1% recorded a year earlier.