logo
Sensex ends over 500 points lower, Nifty below 25,000; Axis Bank falls 5%

Sensex ends over 500 points lower, Nifty below 25,000; Axis Bank falls 5%

India Today18-07-2025
Benchmark indices closed sharply lower on Wednesday, dragged down by a sell-off in banking and IT stocks following a weak start to the earnings season.The S&P BSE Sensex fell 501.51 points to close at 81,757.73, while the NSE Nifty50 slipped 143.05 points to end the day at 24,968.40, breaching the psychological 25,000-mark.Broader market indices also mirrored the weak sentiment and high volatility on Dalal Street.advertisement
Banking stocks were hurt by a sharp drop in shares of Axis Bank after it posted its Q1FY26 results. The shares of private lender settled over 5% lower and the Nifty Private Bank index fell nearly 1.5%.'A broad-based sell-off was observed in the national market amidst a disappointing initial set of earnings from the finance and IT sectors,' said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.He added that high valuations in large-cap stocks and significant FII short positions have made investors more cautious.Concerns around India's trade ties with Russia, following tariff threats, further added to the uncertainty. However, Nair remains positive on India's medium- to long-term prospects, underpinned by low inflation and a supportive monetary policy stance.- Ends
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nasdaq tumbles as Jackson Hole jitters hit tech stocks
Nasdaq tumbles as Jackson Hole jitters hit tech stocks

Mint

time19 minutes ago

  • Mint

Nasdaq tumbles as Jackson Hole jitters hit tech stocks

Magnificent Seven stocks fall Home Depot up after retaining annual forecasts Intel jumps on SoftBank investment Indexes: Dow flat; S&P down 0.59%; Nasdaq down 1.46% (Adds closing percentages, market details) By Johann M Cherian, Sanchayaita Roy and Carolina Mandl The Nasdaq and S&P 500 slid on Tuesday driven by tech stocks, as investors gear up for what Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell will say about the path of interest rates at a key conference later in the week. The Nasdaq fell as megacaps lost, after having rallied for much of the year. Nvidia fell 3.5%, the biggest drop in nearly four months. The key event this week is the Fed's annual symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from Aug. 21-23, where Powell's comments will be scrutinized for any clues on the central bank's outlook on the economy and monetary policy. "It seems like folks are hedging a little going into Jackson Hole, thinking Powell might be more hawkish than markets currently appreciate," said James Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. Interest rate futures point to a total of two rate cuts this year worth 25 basis points each, with the first expected in September, according to data compiled by LSEG. Some market participants also expressed some concerns about AI-related stocks after OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman said they are in a bubble in an interview with "The Verge" late last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 10.45 points, roughly flat, to 44,922.27, the S&P 500 lost 37.78 points, or 0.59%, to 6,411.37 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 314.82 points, or 1.46%, to 21,314.95. Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, said some investors are taking some profits from tech stocks and rotating into other sectors. "(This move) spills into the broader market because of those stocks' weight in major indices," he added. Still, six of the S&P 500 sectors rose. Real estate led the pack, up 1.8%, helped by better-than-expected . On the other hand, technology and communications services lost over 1.9% and 1.2%, respectively. A Reuters poll showed on Tuesday that the S&P 500 will end 2025 just below current near-record levels , at 6,300 points, reflecting tempered optimism amid ongoing concerns over the economic impact of President Donald Trump's global tariffs and uncertainty surrounding Fed rate cuts. The blue-chip Dow briefly hit a record high on Tuesday, aided by a rise in Home Depot's shares after the retailer kept its annual forecasts intact. Home Depot rose 3.17% despite quarterly results estimates, while rival home-improvement chain Lowe's also gained 2.18%. Earnings from Lowe's and big-box retailers Walmart and Target later this week are now in focus as investors await more insight on the health of the American consumer. "Consumers are still not really spending at full speed ahead, they're a little bit cautious," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities. "They're waiting to see the full results of the tariffs' impact on the upcoming holiday sales in a couple of months from now." Intel jumped roughly 7% after the chipmaker got a $2 billion from Japan's SoftBank Group. Palo Alto Networks rose 3.06% after the cybersecurity fiscal 2026 revenue and profit above estimates. Medtronic lost 3.13%, after the company said it would to its board after Elliott Investment Management took a large stake in the medical-device maker. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.06-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. There were 205 new highs and 62 new lows on the NYSE. The S&P 500 posted 13 new 52-week highs and one new low while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 56 new highs and 88 new lows. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl, in New York, Johann M Cherian and Sanchayaita Roy in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Saeed Azhar; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Aurora Ellis)

Walmart share price: Walmart stock rises over 35 per cent, check price-to-earnings ratio
Walmart share price: Walmart stock rises over 35 per cent, check price-to-earnings ratio

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

Walmart share price: Walmart stock rises over 35 per cent, check price-to-earnings ratio

Walmart stock has gained nearly 37 per cent in the last 12 months, one of the notable non-tech companies leading a market that has largely sloughed off the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing trade war. The broader Consumer Staples sector is up 4.5 per cent, trailing the broad-market S&P 500. Walmart's forward price-to-earnings ratio currently stands at 35.7, compared with an average of 25.5 over the past five years, suggesting investors expect growth. Its market value has soared to about $800 billion, per LSEG Datastream. Investors expect Walmart's management to strike a cautious tone on customer demand as the U.S. labor market cools and inflation ticks up, though the company has outperformed its peers over the last year due to its reliance on grocery sales and wealthier customers shopping there more often. Still, analysts say this environment is a sweet spot for Walmart, which reports second-quarter results on Thursday before markets open. Its low-price model and dominance in grocery can help it weather economic storms better than others. The world's largest retailer by sales has surpassed earnings estimates for 11 consecutive quarters, according to LSEG data, sending its valuation soaring even as other consumer staples companies have struggled this year. The company's May-to-July results are the most closely watched event among this week's retail earnings, following Tuesday's results from Home Depot and Wednesday's reports from Lowe's and Target. Its significance goes beyond retail; as one of the largest and most recognizable companies in the U.S., Walmart is viewed as a barometer for the state of the U.S. consumer. "Walmart essentially is middle America, so I'll be looking for cues from Walmart as to the health of the broader economy," said Charles Sizemore, a Walmart investor. Live Events U.S. shoppers remain resilient despite declining sentiment, but they are being increasingly selective about purchases and have shown signs of trading down. RBC Capital Markets analyst Steven Shemesh cautioned that Walmart may adopt a more cautious tone heading into the second half. Investors and analysts expect the retailer to report earnings of 74 cents a share, up nearly 11 per cent from a year ago, and revenue of $176.16 billion, up 4 per cent. Sales fell slightly short of expectations in Walmart's last quarter, but July's retail sales report bolstered analysts' confidence in current spending trends. FAQs Q1. Walmart is based on what location? A1. Arkansas-based chain is Walmart. Q2. When will Walmart's earnings results come out? A2. Walmart's earnings results will come out on August 21.

US tariff impact: S&P says India's long-term growth story intact; cites reforms and robust domestic demand
US tariff impact: S&P says India's long-term growth story intact; cites reforms and robust domestic demand

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

US tariff impact: S&P says India's long-term growth story intact; cites reforms and robust domestic demand

S&P Global Ratings on Tuesday said that high US tariffs are unlikely to derail India's long-term growth prospects, citing the government's focus on reforms, infrastructure investment and improving living standards. The ratings agency, which recently upgraded India's sovereign credit rating to 'BBB' with a stable outlook after 18 years, pointed to strong economic fundamentals and fiscal discipline as key drivers, PTI reported. 'Going forward, we expect this growth dynamics will continue to play out over 3 years with growth averaging about 6.8 per cent. If infrastructure and connectivity improve in India, it will remove bottlenecks that are hindering long-term economic growth and bring India's potential growth path even higher,' S&P Global Ratings Director YeeFarn Phua said. India, Phua added, remains one of the strongest and best-performing economies globally. 'Over the past 3-4 years, India has been an outperformer in growth compared to regional peers,' he said at a webinar on India's rating upgrade. On the specific impact of higher tariffs, S&P Asia Pacific Economist Vishrut Rana said India's economy is largely sheltered due to its domestic orientation. 'India's economy is relatively less trade-oriented, with external demand contributing only 15 per cent of the overall economy and 85 per cent driven by domestic factors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo So it is a very heavily domestically oriented economy. That is one element of shelter,' Rana said. He noted that mitigating factors, such as exemptions for some sectors and limited exposure to the US, would cushion the blow. 'It is a complicated environment. There are several mitigating factors which are likely to cushion the overall impact on the economy. Still, we could see some short-term confidence effects on the economy. Medium term, the structural factors — favourable growth path, infrastructure and continued favourable business environment — will determine the growth path,' Rana said. The US has already imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods effective August 7, with an additional 25 per cent duty scheduled from August 27, taking the total to 50 per cent. Phua stressed that India is staying on course with reforms despite external disruptions. 'These external developments (like high tariffs) can sometimes create some noise but by and large, this government is staying on course and trying to improve the standard of living for its people,' he said. Asked about the tariff impact on growth, Phua underlined that S&P takes a long-term approach. 'Exposure of India to the US in terms of exports is just 1 pc of GDP. So, even though tariffs remain high, we don't think it will have an overall impact on India's long-term growth prospects. Short term, it might have some marginal hit to growth, over a longer term, we believe India's growth story remains sound,' he added. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store