Sensex, Nifty Slip in Early Trade as Foreign Fund Outflows and Global Tensions Weigh on Markets

Mumbai, January 20
India’s benchmark equity indices opened lower on Tuesday, with selling pressure driven by sustained foreign fund outflows and elevated geopolitical concerns that dampened overall investor sentiment.

The 30 share BSE Sensex fell 311.33 points to 82,934.85 in early trade, while the 50 share NSE Nifty declined 99.5 points to 25,486.

Stock Specific Movements​

Among Sensex constituents, Eternal, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, InterGlobe Aviation, Trent and Bajaj Finserv traded lower in the opening session.

On the other hand, Kotak Mahindra Bank, State Bank of India, UltraTech Cement and ITC provided some support to the benchmark, trading in positive territory.

Institutional Activity Remains Mixed​

Foreign institutional investors continued to pare their exposure, selling equities worth Rs 3,262.82 crore on Monday. In contrast, domestic institutional investors remained net buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 4,234.30 crore, helping limit sharper downside pressure in the market.

Global Market Cues​

Asian markets showed a mixed trend. South Korea’s Kospi traded higher, while Japan’s Nikkei 225, China’s SSE Composite, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng were trading lower.

US equity markets were closed overnight due to a public holiday.

Commodities and Previous Session​

In the commodities market, Brent crude edged up 0.11 percent to USD 64.01 per barrel.

In the previous session on Monday, the Sensex had declined 324.17 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 83,246.18, while the Nifty fell 108.85 points, or 0.42 percent, to settle at 25,585.50.