Why Are Sensex and Nifty Trading Lower Amid IT Weakness?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Mumbai, Jan 29 (NationPress) The Indian stock markets opened lower on Thursday, influenced by mixed global signals and a downturn in IT stocks.
By 9:30 AM, the Sensex had dropped by 347 points, representing a 0.42 percent decline, settling at 81,997, while the Nifty fell by 81 points, or 0.32 percent, to reach 25,260.
The Indian rupee slipped past the critical threshold of 92 against the dollar in early trading, surpassing its recent all-time low of 91.9650 from the previous week.
Broad market indices exhibited contrasting trends compared to benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 gaining 0.21 percent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 rising by 0.47 percent.
Sectorwise, most indices were in the red, with the exception of metal, PSU banks, real estate, and oil and gas. The Nifty metal and PSU bank indices saw notable increases of 1.76 percent and 0.70 percent, respectively, while the Nifty oil and gas index rose by 0.78 percent.
The Nifty IT index was the largest decliner, down by 1.29 percent. Market analysts noted that immediate support stands around the 25,200 mark, while resistance is seen between 25,400 and 25,500.
Experts described the Nifty’s rise of 300 points over the last two trading sessions as a short-term reaction in anticipation of the upcoming Union Budget. They indicated that market participants are likely covering some short positions ahead of the Budget to mitigate risks.
Foreign Institutional Investors' (FIIs) strategy of a 'sell India' approach and reallocating capital to alternative markets is expected to persist unless significant announcements in the Budget prompt a return to Indian markets.
In the Asia-Pacific region, markets largely traded lower this morning following the US Federal Reserve's decision to maintain its benchmark interest rate at a target range of 3.5 percent to 3.75 percent.
In Asian trading, China's Shanghai index fell by 0.1 percent, Shenzhen rose by 0.01 percent, Japan's Nikkei remained flat, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng increased by 0.34 percent. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.94 percent.
US markets closed mostly positive overnight, with the Nasdaq up by 0.17 percent. The S&P 500 saw a slight decline of 0.01 percent, while the Dow rose by 0.02 percent.
On January 27, FIIs became net buyers for the first time in 2026, acquiring equities worth Rs 480 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased equities worth Rs 3,360 crore.
aar/na