Indian stock market opens lower amid concerns over Trump’s tariff threats
The Indian stock market opened lower on Wednesday as concerns over US President Donald Trump’s tariff measures continued to weigh on investor sentiment.
At the opening, the Nifty 50 started at 23,050, while the Sensex opened at 76,188, both down 0.1 per cent. By 9:31 am, the Sensex had declined by 364.21 points or 0.48 per cent to 75,929.39, while the Nifty slipped 118 points or 0.52 per cent to 22,953.80.
Reliance Industries, ITC, and HDFC Bank were among the top laggards on the Nifty. Sectorally, Nifty Metal and Nifty IT saw gains, while Nifty Realty and Nifty Auto led the declines.
The rupee opened stronger, gaining 39 paise to trade at 86.44 against the US dollar, compared to its previous close of 86.83 on Tuesday.
Market experts noted that concerns over Trump’s tariff policies have been impacting investor sentiment in recent days.
“Dalal Street is gripped by pessimism as fears mount over further declines if Nifty slips below the crucial 23,000 mark. Nifty has already fallen 2.42 per cent this year and remains 12 per cent below its all-time high from September 2024,” said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities.
The broader market is also witnessing a widespread sell-off, with all major sectors facing declines.
“The sustained negative performance across sectors has created a challenging environment for investors, prompting the need for a thorough examination of market conditions and individual investment strategies,” said Sameet Chavan, Head of Research, Technical and Derivative, Angel One.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers on February 11, offloading equities worth ₹4,486 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) attempted to provide support by purchasing equities worth ₹4,001 crore.
“These transactions will be closely monitored for their impact on market direction,” said Aakash Shah from Choice Broking.
Meanwhile, in Asian markets, South Korean stocks traded slightly higher, driven by institutional buying, despite concerns over the potential economic impact of Trump’s tariff policies.
