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Indian stock markets commenced trading on a subdued note on Friday, with continued foreign portfolio investor (FPI) outflows and a lacklustre earnings outlook weighing on equities.

The Nifty 50 index opened at 22,857.20, marking a decline of 55.95 points or 0.24 per cent, while the BSE Sensex fell by 123.35 points or 0.16 per cent to commence trading at 75,612.61.

Market observers noted that despite managing to hold key support levels, the indices remained under pressure. Analysts attributed this to a combination of global economic uncertainties, weak corporate earnings projections, and persistent foreign fund outflows.

Banking and market expert, Ajay Baggar said, “US markets fell on a weak guidance from Walmart and fears of the impact of the Trump tariffs on inflation and sentiment. Japanese inflation of 4 per cent has set the stage for further Bank of Japan rate hikes, leading to the Yen appreciating and Japanese treasury yields rising. Indian markets have protected key support levels but stay challenged by muted earnings outlook and continued FPI selling pressure. We stay cautious on the Indian markets outlook and expect this tight range to continue.”

Also read: Sensex, Nifty dipped for third day as IT, banks fall

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) exhibited a mixed trend across sectoral indices. While Nifty Media, Nifty Metal, Nifty Pharma, and Nifty PSU Bank posted gains in early trade, major segments such as Nifty Bank, Nifty Auto, Nifty FMCG, and Nifty IT witnessed declines, thereby dampening broader market sentiment.

Among the Nifty 50 stocks, market breadth remained slightly negative, with 28 stocks registering declines at the opening bell, while 22 managed to stay in the green.

 

Investors remain focused on global trends and domestic macroeconomic indicators to gauge the direction of the market in the forthcoming sessions.

Market participants are particularly monitoring foreign institutional investor (FII) activity, which has been a key determinant of market movements in recent weeks.

Elsewhere in Asian markets, a largely positive trend was observed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged by over 2.68 per cent, Taiwan’s Weighted Index gained 0.91 per cent, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose by 0.11 per cent. South Korea’s KOSPI, however, remained largely flat at the time of reporting.

Also read: Trump trade conflict casts shadow on tech sector