On Friday, Indian equity markets were more or less unchanged as investors took a breather after the previous four days’ losses and remained on the lookout for a U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding tariffs that may have a great impact on the market.
Nifty 50, the index of the top 50 companies, slightly increased by 0.01% to 25,877 at 9:56 a.m. IST, while at the same time, Sensex, the index tracking the 30 largest companies, decreased by the same percentage to 84,173.50. The small-cap and mid-cap indices were also on the same level, but nine of the 16 major sectors were already showing declines.
Markets have been under pressure following U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning of potential tariff hikes on Indian goods due to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude. The Supreme Court ruling could decide the legality of these tariffs, potentially forcing the U.S. government to refund nearly $150 billion to importers if declared illegal.
“Markets are under pressure after Trump approved a bipartisan bill imposing sanctions on Russia, which also allows the U.S. to penalise countries importing large quantities of Russian oil and gas, including tariffs up to 500%,” said Vishnu Kant Upadhyay, assistant VP at Master Capital Services.
Stock Highlights:
- BHEL rose 2% after securing a ₹54 billion order from JV Bharat Coal Gasification & Chemicals, rebounding from a 10.5% loss in the previous session.
- Eternal (ETEA.NS) gained 2.2% after Goldman Sachs reiterated a “buy” rating, noting that the stock’s bearish pricing was overdone. Eternal has dropped 17% in the last three months compared to a 3% gain in benchmark indices.
- Vodafone Idea (VODA.NS) climbed 3.3% after announcing a dues repayment plan, capping annual payments at $13.79 million over the next six years, easing near-term cash flow pressures.
Investors will continue to monitor developments in Washington closely, with the Supreme Court verdict expected to guide the next direction for Indian markets.
