Nifty continues southward journey on Wednesday

18 Dec 2024 Evaluate

Indian equity benchmark -- Nifty -- ended Wednesday’s trading session with cut of over half a percent ahead of the outcome of the two-day Federal Reserve meet later today. Fed is likely to deliver a 25-basis-point interest rate cut.  After making a cautious start, soon index extended its losses, amid foreign fund outflows. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their selling as they sold equities worth Rs 6,409 crore on December 17. Some concern also came as the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) stating that India's gold imports have surged alarmingly, posing a potential threat to its trade balance and economic stability, and the government should take action to address this issue. It said the imports are driven by multiple factors, including growing investment demand, tariff reductions, and loopholes in trade agreements and this surge has raised significant economic concerns, distorting the trade balance, weakening the rupee, and widening the current account deficit.  

In afternoon session, index continued to trade in red and remained lower till end of the day, as traders were cautious with a private report stating that India’s foreign aid has dipped post-pandemic but has also become more varied than before. The average aid per annum declined to Rs 5,011 crore in the four years since FY22 as compared with Rs 5,805 crore in the four years leading up to Covid. Besides, US President-elect Donald Trump has set the stage for a potential trade conflict with India, threatening to impose reciprocal tariffs if the country continues to levy high taxes on American goods.

Most of the sectorial indices ended in red except IT, Pharma and Healthcare stocks. The top gainers from the F&O segment were Indraprastha Gas, Aurobindo Pharma and Trent. On the other hand, the top losers were Piramal Enterprises, NMDC and PVR INOX. In the index option segment, maximum OI continues to be seen in the 24900 - 25100 calls and 23900 - 24100 puts indicating this is the trading range expectation.

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