The key equity indices traded with minor gains in early trade, mirroring Asian markets. Investors are assessing the tariff development, and ongoing corporate earnings. Nifty traded above the 25,200 level.
Realty, pharma and metal shares advanced while PSU Bank, IT and private bank stocks declined.
At 09:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 13.57 points or 0.02% to 82,650.60. The Nifty 50 index rose 9.80 points or 0.04% to 25,221.65.
The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.20% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index jumped 0.43%.
The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 1,947 shares rose and 804 shares fell. A total of 161 shares were unchanged.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,858.15 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 1,223.55 crore in the Indian equity market on 16 July 2025, provisional data showed.
Stocks in Spotlight:
L&T Technology Services (LTTS rose 0.56%. The company’s consolidated net profit increased 1.48% to Rs 315.70 crore despite 3.9% decline in net sales to Rs 2,866 crore in Q1 FY26 over Q4 FY25.
Le Travenues Technology (Ixigo) surged 10.05% after the company reported a 28.5% jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 19.09 crore on 72.9% increase in net sales to Rs 314.47 crore in Q1 FY26 over Q1 FY25.
Numbers to Track:
The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper was flat at 6313.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 85.8450 compared with its close of 85.9250 during the previous trading session.
MCX Gold futures for 5 August 2025 settlement shed 0.36% to Rs 97,437.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.26% to 98.55.
The United States 10-year bond yield rose 0.47% to 4.475.
In the commodities market, Brent crude for September 2025 settlement rose 39 cents or 0.57% to $68.91 a barrel.
Global Markets:
Most Asian indices advanced on Thursday as investors digested Japan’s second straight monthly drop in exports and conflicting signals from U.S. President Donald Trump on monetary policy and trade.
Japan’s exports slipped 0.5% year-on-year in June, following a 1.7% fall in May, signaling continued weakness in external demand. Meanwhile, Trump denied plans to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, just hours after reportedly telling Republican lawmakers otherwise. The President added fuel to the trade uncertainty by reiterating a potential 25% tariff on Japanese imports, casting doubt on a comprehensive trade deal with Japan.
On the flip side, Singapore delivered a surprise. Its non-oil domestic exports surged 13% in June versus a year ago, sharply rebounding from a 3.9% drop in May. This marked the fastest growth since July 2024.
U.S. markets shrugged off the Powell drama. The Dow Jones rose 0.53%, the S&P 500 gained 0.32%, and the Nasdaq advanced 0.26% as Trump told reporters he was “not planning anything” regarding Powell’s removal, despite continuing to criticize the Fed chief for high interest rates and a pricey renovation of the Fed building.
Economic data brought a mixed bag. Producer prices in the U.S. remained flat in June on a monthly basis, with annual growth slowing to 2.3% from May’s 2.7%. However, consumer prices showed signs of heating up, rising 2.7% year-on-year in June compared to 2.4% in May. On a monthly basis, inflation stood at 0.3%, matching expectations.
On Wall Street, Tesla shares climbed 3% after the EV giant announced plans to launch a six-seater Model Y this fall. Meanwhile, Global Payments surged 5% following reports that activist investor Elliott Management had taken a stake in the company.