Indian markets track global weakness; Sensex down nearly 200 points

Benchmark indices opened marginally lower on Friday morning as uncertainty surrounding US trade policies and weak global cues dampened investor sentiment.

Sensex opened at 74,347.14 but slipped to 74,099.90, down by 240.19 points or 0.32%. Nifty opened at 74,347.14, and is currently at 22,491.90, down by 52.80 points or 0.23%. BEL led the gainers on NSE, rising 2.25%. Other top performers included HDFC Life, Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, and Tata Motors.

On the flip side, IndusInd Bank was the top loser, declining 1.19%, followed by BPCL, NTPC, Shriram Finance, and HCL Technologies. The RBI has announced a ₹1 lakh crore liquidity infusion into the banking system, which may positively impact PSU banks.

Analysts remain cautious but see potential for a rebound. “Nifty has closed above its 10-day exponential moving average (EMA) of 22,472, signalling a bullish short-term trend. The next resistance zone is expected between 22720-22725,” said Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities.