Sensex, Nifty open flat amid mixed global cues

Domestic equity benchmarks opened flat on Thursday as gains in IT and pharma stocks were offset by weakness in banking and realty. Sensex slipped 15 points to 77,638, while Nifty edged down less than a point to 24,249.

Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmarks opened on a subdued note on Thursday amid mixed global cues, as gains in information technology and pharma stocks were offset by weakness in banking and realty shares.

Sensex opened at 77,638.86, down 15.74 points or 0.02 per cent, while Nifty opened at 24,249.55, lower by 0.65 points.

---

Among the sectoral indices, Nifty IT was the top gainer, rising 1.39 per cent, followed by Nifty Pharma, Nifty Healthcare, Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom, and Nifty Auto, which gained up to 0.54 per cent.

In contrast, Nifty Realty declined 0.80 per cent, followed by Nifty Chemicals, which was down 0.45 per cent, while Nifty Private Bank fell 0.42 per cent.

According to market experts, the Indian market continues to indicate a potential breakout trend, although several global headwinds are limiting the upside momentum.

“The spike in Brent crude prices to near $90 following the escalation of the US-Iran conflict is a strong headwind for markets,” they said.

Experts noted that the US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged, though widely expected, turned out to be negative for equities as the decision was split 9-3, with three members voting for a rate hike to curb inflation.

However, they believe the Indian market could remain relatively resilient.

Weakness in global chip stocks has prompted foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to shift allocations, with FPIs turning net buyers in Indian equities so far in July.

Brent crude — the international oil benchmark — declined 1.75 per cent to $89.15 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 1.47 per cent to $83.21 per barrel.

Asian stocks traded mixed. Major indices such as the Nikkei, Hang Seng, and KOSPI were up 0.72 per cent, down 0.02 per cent, and lower by 0.57 per cent, respectively.

US stocks ended lower, with the S&P 500 declining 1.52 per cent, while the Nasdaq ended down 1.74 per cent.