At around 11 am, the Indian benchmark indices were trading in the red, continuing their downward trend amid weak global cues and sectoral pressure. The Sensex was down 448.99 points, or 0.55%, at 81,002.02, while the Nifty slipped 126.90 points, or 0.51%, to 24,623.80.
The Indian markets extended their rough patch in early trade on Monday, with the Sensex tumbling over 660 points to 80,790 and the Nifty slipping below 24,600. A sharp sell-off in IT and metal stocks further deepened the gloom, even as FMCG, realty, and PSU Bank sectors offered some relief with modest gains of 0.4% to 1.5%.
India’s benchmark indices began the new month on a cautious note . The Sensex opened at 81,165.34, down 0.35%, while the Nifty started the day at 24,621.45, down 0.52%.
Nifty Bank traded 0.47% lower in the opening hour, and Nifty Auto declined 0.62%.
“The market structure favours continuation of the ongoing consolidation phase. There are global headwinds like renewed tariff concerns that will restrain a breakout rally. At the same time there are domestic tailwinds that will support the market at lower levels. President Trump’s 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium is a clear message that the tariff and trade scenario will continue to be uncertain and turbulent. This headwind will impact markets. On the domestic front the tailwinds are getting stronger with the latest Q4 GDP growth data coming at 7.4%, which is much better-than-expected. Trends in consumption expenditure and capital expenditure are promising. This along with low inflation and the expected continuation of the rate cutting policy provide the perfect setting for sustained economic growth in FY26,” Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments.
Top gainers at this hour
Within the Sensex-30 universe, early birds set the tone for the day. Top gainers at this hour include Hindustan Unilever, Nestle India, Adani Ports, PowerGrid.
Laggards: Counters under pressure
Not every stock joined the party. Key laggards so far are Tata Steel, HCL Tech, Tata Motors, Tech Mahindra, and Reliance among other stocks.
Asia’s uneven start: Tariff tensions cast a shadow
Asian markets opened the week on a mixed note as investors reacted to the announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump, who vowed to double steel import tariffs to 50% starting Wednesday.
The news added a layer of uncertainty, especially for export-heavy economies. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.89% while the broader Topix lost 0.65%. South Korea’s Kospi managed a modest 0.16% gain, and the Kosdaq traded flat. Australia’s ASX 200 hovered unchanged.
Gold holds steady near record highs
Gold prices continued to hover close to their all-time highs. On Monday, 24-carat gold was priced at Rs 95,940 per 10 grams. Despite this stability, gold has seen a minor weekly decline of 0.49%. Meanwhile, 22-carat gold was quoted at Rs 87,945 per 10 grams, and 18-carat gold stood at Rs 71,955.
Wall Street Futures
U.S. stock futures edged lower in early trade as investors prepared for the first session of June. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.4%, mirroring a similar dip in Nasdaq-100 futures. Interestingly, Dow Jones futures bucked the trend, trading 54 points higher, or up 0.13%.