More Stories

Informist, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025                                      Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Equity Alert: Indices end down; investors wary as US tariff deadline nears

MUMBAI--1645 IST--Investors turned jittery ahead of the deadline for additional 25% US tariffs on India Wednesday and booked profit in most sectors Friday after the indices gained for six straight sessions, analysts said. Metal stocks were the worst-hit followed by banks, but most pharmaceutical stocks held ground and closed higher. However, mid- and small- cap indices fared better than the benchmark indices.

The Nifty 50 closed at 24870.10 points, down 213.65 points or 0.9% as the three major index heavyweights HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries, and ICICI Bank fell sharply. Only seven Nifty 50 stocks closed higher, indicating the nervousness among investors. On a week-on-week basis, the 50-stock index closed higher for the second straight time. The BSE Sensex closed at 81306.85 points, down 693.86 points or 0.9%.

In the past six sessions, the Nifty 50 had gained 2.4% and the Sensex had risen 2.2%. This was mainly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a proposal to restructure GST slabs to two from the existing four-slab system. Analysts said this gave confidence to investors that poor domestic consumption that has been plaguing the Indian corporates will start picking up from the second half of 2025-26 (Apr-Mar).

Consumer-facing sectors such as fast-moving consumer goods, consumer durables, and automobile companies would reap the benefits of GST rationalisation, coupled with a boost from festival season. However, some analysts flagged concerns about companies announcing price hikes which may negate the intended benefit to the end-consumers through these reforms. That said, lack of positive development on the US tariff front was also a concern, even when experts agree that it will have a minor impact on Indian companies and the economy. Earlier, analysts had said that the impact from US tariff will be purely sector specific, but will keep the positive market sentiment in check.

This week, many senior derivatives analysts had said that the Nifty 50 will stay above 25000 points and is headed to 25200 points. Some analysts believed that negativity around US tariffs was already factored in and the market will hold its gains. However, the 50-stock index fell more than 200 points in a single session on Friday. (Gopika Balasubramanium)

Equity Alert: Nifty 50 Aug ends at 19.90-point premium to spot index

MUMBAI--1606 IST--The August futures contract of the Nifty 50 closed at a premium of 19.90 points to the spot index Friday. Open interest in the contract fell 0.9% to 14.96 million, according to provisional data.

--Nifty 50 closed at 24870.10 points, down 213.65 points or 0.9% vs Thu
--Nifty 50 Aug closed at 24890.00 points, down 232.50 points or 0.9% vs Thu

Nifty 50 options, expiring Aug. 28, with maximum change in open interest:

Call: 25000, Put: 24900

Nifty 50 options, expiring Aug. 28, with maximum open interest:

Call: 25000, Put: 24000

(Akash Mandal)

Equity Alert: Vodafone Idea up 12% on hopes of PMO providing relief on dues

MUMBAI--1457 IST--Shares of Vodafone Idea rose nearly 12% to an intraday high of INR 7.31 after media reports said the Prime Minister's Office is likely to take a call on a relief proposal for the company. At 1432 IST, the stock was nearly 9% higher at INR 7.11 and the top gainer in the Nifty 200 index. Over 1.4 billion shares of the company have changed hands as of 1432 IST on the NSE as against over 275 million shares traded till the same time Thursday.

The PMO has received a proposal from the telecom department to steady Vodafone Idea, Mint reported citing two officials aware of the matter. The company has repeatedly cited upcoming payments against pending dues as a threat to its survival and has expressed concerns in the past that it will not be able to sustain its operations after the current financial year without any support from the government.

One of the officials said that the PMO will take the final decision on whether any relief measures need to be extended. Vodafone Idea owes about INR 834 billion in adjusted gross revenue dues to the government, with annual payments of INR 180 billion, beginning March 2026.

Out of the seven brokerage reports available on the company with Informist, four brokerages have a 'hold' rating on the stock with an average target price of INR 8. Two brokerages have a 'sell' rating and only one brokerage has a 'buy' rating. (P. Madhu Kumar)

Equity Alert: European mkts mixed as investors assess details of US-EU deal

MUMBAI--1425 IST--Major European indices showed a mixed trend Friday as investors continued to assess the details of the trade deal between the US and the European Union, revealed Thursday. Investors remained cautious ahead of US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium, due later in the day.

The framework of the trade deal reached between the US and EU last month was detailed in a joint statement Thursday. In the trade deal, the US has agreed to lower a blanket tariff on European imports from 30% to 15% and the EU has agreed to spend $750 billion on US energy and invest a minimum of $600 billion in the country, CNBC reported. Further, the joint statement revealed that the US will cap tariffs on imports of pharmaceutical products from the EU at 15%. Previously, US President Donald Trump had threatened 250% tariffs on the sector.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1% in early trade, with most sectors in negative territory. At 1414 IST, UK's FTSE 100 index turned largely flat after falling in the early trade. Germany's DAX index, which was around 0.2% lower in early trade, was up around 0.1%. A revised reading of Germany's GDP showed that its economy contracted by 0.3% in the second quarter, a sharper decline than an earlier reading, CNBC reported.

Among individual stocks, paints maker AkzoNobel rose 4.3% after activist investor Cevian Capital bought a 3% stake in the company, Reuters reported.

Following were the levels of major European indices at 1414 IST:

(Arya S. Biju)

Equity Alert: Most Asia mkts end up ahead of Powell speech; China mkt surges

MUMBAI--1408 IST--Most Asian indices ended higher Friday as investors await US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, due later in the day. China's CSI 300 closed 2% higher and was the top gainer among indices in the region.

The momentum in mainland Chinese equities is expected to continue as leverage and valuation remained at moderate levels, South China Morning Post reported brokerage JP Morgan as saying. It estimated that potential asset rotation could inject as much as 14 trillion yuan ($1.9 trillion) of liquidity into the market, the report said. 

Chipmaker SMIC jumped 10% after Nvidia reportedly sought a halt to the production of China-focused H20 AI chips, South China Morning Post reported. Sportswear maker Li Ning rose 8% after its first-half net income beat estimates.

South Korea's Kospi closed the session nearly 1% higher. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.6% lower a day after closing at a record high. Goodman Group, CSL, and Coles Group declined 3-5%.

Following were the levels of key Asian indices at 1402 IST:

(Akash Mandal)

Equity Alert: IRCON Intl turns positive on INR 5.10-bln order in Meghalaya

MUMBAI--1242 IST--Shares of IRCON International recovered sharply after the company received an order worth INR 5.10 billion from Meghalaya Infrastructure Development & Finance Corp. The stock was trading in negative territory and jumped over 2% to an intraday high of 174.50 after the company's announcement on exchanges. However, the stock came off highs and at 1237 IST, it was trading at INR 171.80 on NSE, up 1%.

As per terms of the order, IRCON will construct schools at eight different locations in Meghalaya under the government's Eklavya Model Residential Schools scheme. The order is on a design, engineering, procurement, and construction basis.

The stock has risen after falling for the two previous sessions. It recovered all the losses of these two sessions in the first half of Friday's trading session. So far Friday, 1.83 million shares of the company have changed hands on the NSE, lower than 1.46 million shares traded during the same period Thursday.

IDBI Capital Market & Securities has a 'sell' rating on the stock with a target price of INR 143, which implies a 16% downside to Thursday's closing price.  (Simran Rede)

Equity Alert: Nifty Realty snaps 4-day winning streak; Raymond worst hit

MUMBAI--1145 IST—-The Nifty Realty index snapped its four-day winning streak, slipping 0.4%, as profit booking in the overall market weighed on the sector. At 1110 IST, the Nifty 50 index had fallen 0.7% to 24911.95 points, after six consecutive days of gains. Of the 10 companies in the Nifty Realty index, seven were in the red. Raymond saw the sharpest decline, falling nearly 2%, followed by Lodha Developers, which was down more than 1%. The gainers in the index were Prestige Estates Projects, Godrej Properties, and The Phoenix Mills, all of which saw modest gains.

Despite strong earnings from most realty companies in the June quarter, analysts pointed out that the first half is generally weak for the real estate sector. Most of the purchases in the luxury and aspirational luxury segment take place during the festival season in India, which peaks during September quarter. As a result, significant revenue growth is usually seen from the December quarter onwards.

"The real estate industry will have more scope of growth in the upcoming quarters as easing of regulatory frameworks from current financial year is paving the way for more projects to commence in a short span of time... the lending procedures are much more organised and well-structured now, which is helping boost investor sentiment to enter in to the real-estate segment," said Rahul Jain, Investment analyst at Elara Capitals.

Following healthy June quarter earnings, brokerages expect the real estate companies to perform well in the September quarter as well. "Market share gains and entry into new cities keep us constructive on listed developers in an environment of moderating industry volumes," said Kotak Institutional Equities in a report on Wednesday. (P. Madhu Kumar)

Equity Alert: Indices down more on likely profit-taking post 6 days of gains

MUMBAI--1026 IST--Benchmark indices remained in negative territorry, with most stocks in the Nifty 50 trading lower. At 1023 IST, the Nifty 50 was at 24926.65 points, down 157.10 points or 0.6%. The BSE Sensex was at 81497.48 points, down 503.23 points or 0.6%.

"(There is ) profit-booking ahead of major events next week...Nifty 50 is at wall of worry due to 50% Trump tariff to come on effect next week Aug. 27. Investors as well as traders trying to keep position light," Prashanth Tapse, senior vice-president of research at Mehta Equities, said.

Ajit Mishra, senior vice-president of technical research at Religare Broking, does not think the market is down due to tariff-related jitters. "Seems like normal decline after the surge," Mishra said. Both benchmark indices have gained over 2% in the past six sessions.

PTC Industries surged more and was up nearly 6% on a day when gains were thin across the market. The company during market hours Thursday said it won an INR 1-billion order for supply of critical titanium castings to BrahMos Aerospace, with whom they have a long-standing relationship. The order size is more than PTC Industries' July quarter top line of INR 971.46 million. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail was also up nearly 6%.  (Akash Mandal)

Equity Alert: Indices open lower as heavyweights weigh; Nifty 50 below 25000

MUMBAI--0936 IST--Benchmark indices fell more after opening lower as a host of heavyweights such as ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, and Reliance Industries traded in the red. At 0930 IST, the Nifty 50 was at 24981.25 points, down 102.50 points or 0.4%, and the BSE Sensex was at 81674.26 points, down 326.45 points or 0.4%. The 50-stock index fell below the psychologically crucial 25000 level, with only five stocks in the index trading higher.

ICICI Bank was down nearly 1% and was among the worst hit on the Nifty 50. On the other hand, Wipro turned red after rising over 1% at market open. The company said it will acquire the digital transformation solutions business unit of HARMAN, a Samsung company. Analysts expect it to significantly contribute to its top line in 2026-27 (Apr-Mar) and gain a deeper footprint among existing customers.

Sectoral indices were mixed. The Nifty Bank and Nifty Financial Services were among the wost-hit indices. On the other hand, the Nifty India Defence was among the top gainers, with Bharat Electronics trading nearly 1% higher. All broader market indices were in the green.

Most consumer durables and chemical stocks were up after the Government of Ministers on GST approved the Centre's GST rationalisation into two slabs. PG Electroplast, Blue Star, and Voltas were up 1-2%. Chemicals maker PTC Industries was up 2%.

Among other stocks, Swiggy was down nearly 3% and was the worst hit in the Nifty 500. The stock had gained for four straight sessions prior to Friday. On the other hand, Olectra Greentech, Netweb Technologies India, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises were up 3-4% and were the top gainers in the 500-stock index.  (Akash Mandal)

Equity Alert: Nifty 50 may test 25200 post slow start; Powell's speech eyed

MUMBAI--0820 IST--Benchmark equity indices are likely to start the session on a muted note Friday but may gain momentum later in the session. Some analysts say the Nifty 50 will test 25150-25200 levels during the session, before rising to around 25500 next week. On Friday, the 50-stock index is likely to move in a range of 25000-25250 points, analysts said.

The Group of Ministers on rate rationalisation of the goods and services tax Thursday accepted the Centre's proposal to shift to a two-slab GST structure, which would also be seen in a positive light by the market. "Sentiment remains positive, with the index comfortably holding above the short-term moving average...the daily relative strength index is in a bullish crossover and trending higher," said Rupak De, senior technical analyst at LKP Securities.

The August contract of the Nifty 50 also indicates a slow start to the market. At 0754 IST, the contract was at 25060 points, down 34 points from its previous close. On Thursday, the Nifty 50 closed at 25083.75 points, up 33.20 points or 0.1% and the BSE Sensex ended at 82000.71, up 142.87 points or 0.2%. Both extended their gains for the sixth straight session, rising over 2% during the period. 

Overnight, indices in the US ended slightly lower as investors exercised caution ahead of US Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium later Friday. This will probably be Powell's last keynote address before his term at the helm of the central bank ends in May. Most Asian indices were up in early trade Friday, with South Korea's KOSPI being the biggest gainer in the region. The index was up over 1%.  (Akash Mandal)

Informist, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025                                      Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Equity Alert: Most Asian indices up; Powell's comments at Jackson Hole eyed

MUMBAI--0817 IST--Most Asian indices rose in early trade, looking past the slightly negative cues from the US markets which ended lower on Thursday. South Korea's Kospi led the gains for the second straight session while Australia's S&P ASX 200 showed weakness. Investors will now mainly focus on US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, due later in the day. 

Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei 225 and Topix were higher by 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively, after the country's core inflation for July eased. The country's core inflation rate eased to 3.1% in July from 3.3% in June, CNBC reported. The figure — which strips out costs for fresh food — was higher than expectations of 3% by Reuters.

South Korea's Kospi extended Thursday's gains and was up nearly 1%. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P ASX 200 continued to fall after two consecutive sessions of losses. China's CSI 300 continued to show strength and was 0.8% higher and Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.4%. 

Powell's speech at Jackson Hole will be monitored by investors for cues on a possibility of a rate cut at the central bank's September meeting. Powell's comments on the outlook of the US economy will also be watched. The CME FedWatch Tool showed the probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut in September has decreased from what it was a week ago. On Friday, investors saw a 75% chance of an interest rate cut in September, down from 92% a week ago. 

Following were the levels of key Asian indices at 0817 IST:

(Gopika Balasubramanium)

Equity Alert: US mkt ends dn; all eyes on Powell's comments at Jackson Hole

MUMBAI--0720 IST--The Nasdaq Composite closed in the red for the third straight sessions despite the selloff in technology stocks waning. Earlier this week, investors exited their profitable positions in technology companies, citing steep valuations and as enthusiasm around artificial intelligence phased out. The two other US benchmark indices – S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average – also ended lower on Thursday. The weakness came ahead of US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's address at the Jackson Hole Symposium. Investors also anticipate volatility in Friday's session.

The Nasdaq fell 0.3% to close at 21100.312 points and the S&P 500 closed 0.4% lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Thursday's session 0.3% lower at 44785.50 points. Most sectoral indices also fell during the session, with nine of the 11 S&P 500 sectoral indices closing lower. Of these, the index pertaining to consumer staples companies declined 1.2% after Walmart missed quarterly profit estimates and flagged higher costs from tariffs. Shares of the retailer fell 4.5%. Other consumer-facing stocks such as Target and Home Depot were also in focus.

"There's a bit of a mixed picture within the consumer space and there's uncertainty in the economy - whether that's the job market or whether that's prices (increasing) from a tariff pass-through," said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Northlight Asset Management.

All eyes are now on the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, where Powell is scheduled to speak late Friday. Traders will closely monitor his speech for cues on the US federal funds rate cuts in September following recent weakness in the job market, and also on the outlook for the US economy amid US President Trump's complex policies. "Jitters over what's going to transpire tomorrow at Jackson Hole is certainly weighing on risk appetite a little bit with Chair Powell's speech," Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial, was quoted as saying by Reuters. "There could be a decent selloff if we get a more hawkish than expected event."

Following are the closing levels of US indices Thursday:

(Gopika Balasubramanium)

US$1 = INR 87.53

End

Edited by Ashish Shirke

All prices from National Stock Exchange, unless otherwise specified.

All percentage changes for share prices are rounded off to the nearest whole number; percentage changes for index values are rounded off to one decimal place.

All times are Indian Standard Time.

NSE: National Stock Exchange

NYSE: New York Stock Exchange

NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange

SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India

RBI: Reserve Bank of India

Internet links:

Securities and Exchange Board of India - http://www.sebi.gov.in

Bombay Stock Exchange - http://www.bseindia.com

National Stock Exchange of India - http://www.nseindia.com

Directory of Indian government websites - http://goidirectory.nic.in

Indian Ministry of Finance - http://www.finmin.nic.in

Reserve Bank of India - http://rbi.org.in

Controller General of Accounts, Government of India - http://www.cga.nic.in

Government's Press Information Bureau - http://www.pib.nic.in

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt Ltd.

Informist Media Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2025. All rights reserved.