Mumbai– Indian stock markets ended Tuesday’s session with modest gains, reflecting investor caution ahead of the U.S. reciprocal tariff deadline on July 8. Market sentiment was largely influenced by ongoing trade negotiations between India and the United States, with hopes of a deal emerging this week.
The benchmark Sensex hit an intraday high of 83,874.29 before closing at 83,697.29 — up 90.83 points or 0.11%. Meanwhile, the Nifty added 24.75 points or 0.10% to settle at 25,541.80.
Among the 30 Sensex constituents, Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) emerged as the top gainer, rising 2.51%. Other notable gainers included Asian Paints, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, Infosys, Titan, and Bharti Airtel.
On the downside, major laggards were Axis Bank, Trent, Eternal (formerly Zomato), Tech Mahindra, ICICI Bank, and TCS.
The broader market displayed mixed trends. The Nifty Midcap 100 closed flat, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 dipped slightly, down 0.10%.
Among sectoral indices, Nifty PSU Bank, Metal, Oil & Gas, Consumer Durables, Healthcare, and Pharma ended in the green. However, Auto, IT, Energy, FMCG, Media, and Realty sectors closed lower.
The total market capitalization of all listed companies on the NSE stood at ₹5.36 trillion.
Market volatility eased, with the India VIX — a key measure of market fear — dropping 2.01% to close at 12.5, indicating subdued investor anxiety.
Gold prices continued to rise, supported by a weakening U.S. dollar. Comex Gold surged by $30 to reach $3,345, while MCX Gold gained ₹1,200 to settle around ₹97,300.
“The sentiment remains upbeat this week, largely driven by expectations surrounding key U.S. economic data — particularly Non-Farm Payrolls, unemployment rates, and ADP employment changes,” said Jateen Trivedi, analyst at LKP Securities.
On the currency front, the Indian Rupee appreciated by 0.28% to close at 85.51, supported by a softer Dollar Index (trading below 97.00) and sustained weakness in crude oil prices.
“The rupee is expected to trade within a range of 85.20 to 85.80 in the near term,” Trivedi added. (Source: IANS)
