Will the Indian Stock Market Continue to Rise Ahead of the US Fed Meeting?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Sensex ended at 81,481.86 with a gain of 143.91 points.
- Nifty closed at 24,855.05, up by 33.95 points.
- Top gainers included L&T, Sun Pharma, and Maruti Suzuki.
- Bank Nifty faced a decline due to selling in banking stocks.
- The Indian rupee faced significant depreciation, reaching a five-month low.
Mumbai, July 30 (NationPress) The Indian stock market concluded the trading session on a positive note on Wednesday, buoyed by mixed global signals in anticipation of the upcoming US Federal Reserve meeting. This occurred despite ongoing uncertainty regarding a potential India-US trade agreement before the August 1 deadline.
Additionally, the mixed results from Q1 earnings reports influenced market sentiments throughout the trading hours.
The Sensex finished at 81,481.86, gaining 143.91 points or 0.18 percent. The 30-share index began the day with a notable gap-up at 81,594.52 compared to the previous session's close of 81,337.95. It remained relatively stable amidst varying investor sentiments, reaching an intra-day peak of 81,618.96.
The Nifty closed at 24,855.05, an increase of 33.95 points or 0.14 percent.
"Investor sentiment was tempered due to ongoing uncertainty regarding the trade agreement, following recent comments from the US President about possible tariffs on India, and delays in finalizing the deal ahead of the August 1 deadline," noted Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking Ltd.
Moreover, caution was evident ahead of the FOMC meeting results. While no rate changes are anticipated, the Fed's statements will be closely analyzed, he added.
Top gainers in the Sensex basket included L&T, Sun Pharma, NTPC, Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel, Trent, and Axis Bank. Conversely, Tata Motors, Power Grid, Bajaj FinServ, and Kotak Bank closed in negative territory.
Among sectoral indices, Bank Nifty fell by 71 points due to selling pressure in banking stocks, particularly PNB, following disappointing Q1 earnings. Meanwhile, Nifty IT, Nifty FMCG, and Nifty Fin Services ended positively.
The broader markets witnessed mixed trading amidst volatility. Nifty Next 50 and Nifty 100 saw slight increases, while Nifty midcap 100 and Nifty small cap 100 experienced declines.
Additionally, the Indian rupee faced its largest single-day drop since May 8, plunging to a five-month low.
"This significant depreciation was largely driven by heightened month-end dollar demand and outflows from foreign investments," stated Dilip Parmar of HDFC Securities.