Muted opening on the cards; FII selling continues unabated
GIFT Nifty August 2025 futures were trading 3.50 points (or 0.01%) lower in early trade, suggesting a flat to mildly negative opening for the Nifty 50 today.
Institutional Flows:
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 2,133.69 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,617.14 crore in the Indian equity market on 23 July 2025, provisional data showed.
According to public data, FPIs have sold shares worth Rs 28,528.70 crore in the cash market during July 2025. This follows their cash purchase of shares worth Rs 7,488.98 crore in June 2024.
Global Markets:
Asian markets came off their early highs on Friday, with Japanese markets retreating from a record peak, as investors locked in profits ahead of a crucial week that includes US President Donald Trump's tariff deadline and a host of central bank meetings.
Mixed inflation data, however, dampened the sentiment for Japanese investors. Tokyo consumer inflation data for July showed a slightly bigger-than-widely anticipated easing in prices. But core inflation still remained above the Bank of Japans 2% annual target, keeping uncertainty over the central banks rate hikes largely in play.
Focus now is on Chinas Politburo meeting, a convening of top political leaders, for more cues on the Chinese economy. The meeting was supposed to be convened in late-July.
US stocks were mixed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 notching its fourth record close in a row as tech earnings from Alphabet pointed to AI as a key growth catalyst.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to also close at a fresh record, while the S&P 500 ended up just 0.1% higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6% amid a post-earnings slide in IBM (IBM) shares.
Alphabet beat widely reported markets second quarter earnings expectations and doubled down on its AI spending spree. The Google parent's shares rose alongside other AI-linked stocks such as Nvidia, helping buoy the tech-focused gauges.
Tesla's stock sank after an earnings miss, a continued slump in European sales, and a warning from CEO Elon Musk that the EV maker faced "rough quarters" as President Trump's budget bill kills off tax credits.
Optimism around trade deals remained strong after the US-Japan agreement helped push the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to new record highs on Wednesday. Meanwhile, media reports indicated that the US and EU are nearing a deal to impose a 15% tariff on most European importssignificantly lower than the previously threatened 30%.
Domestic Market:
Domestic equity benchmarks ended in the red today as intense selling pressure in IT stocks dragged indices lower, following disappointing earnings from key sector players. Investor sentiment was further dampened by negative global cues. The White House's announcement that U.S. President Donald Trump will visit the Federal Reserve on Thursday an unexpected and controversial move has heightened tensions with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, injecting fresh uncertainty into global markets.
Adding to the unease, trade negotiations between India and the U.S. have reportedly hit a roadblock. With Washingtons August 1 deadline approaching, talks remain stalled over tariff reductions on key agricultural and dairy products, raising doubts over the finalisation of an interim trade deal.
The Nifty 50 closed below the 25,100 mark, weighed down by broad-based selling across sectors. However, selective buying in pharma and PSU banks helped limit the downside. The market had opened on a positive note but quickly gave up gains during the early part of the session. Despite a mild recovery attempt later in the day, indices eventually closed near the days lows.
The S&P BSE Sensex slumped 542.47 points or 0.66% to 82,184.17, while the Nifty 50 fell 157.80 points or 0.63% to 25,062.10.
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