The headline equity benchmarks traded with substantial losses in the mid-morning trade after US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports starting Monday. This move is expected to be in addition to further metal duties, which are anticipated to be disclosed later in the week. The Nifty traded below the 23,400 level. Realty shares tumbled after advancing in the past trading session.
At 11:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, slipped 551.09 points or 0.72% to 77,299.49. The Nifty 50 index lost 172.50 points or 0.73% to 23,387.45.
The broader market underperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 1.65%, and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index declined 2.09%.
The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,074 shares rose and 2,774 shares fell. A total of 179 shares were unchanged.
Indian Rupee hit a fresh record low against the US dollar on Monday. The currency opened at 87.9400 and touched a fresh all-time low of 87.9525 and is currently trading at 87.7650.
Economy:
India's forex reserves rose USD 1.05 billion to USD 630.607 billion for the week ended January 31, the RBI said on Friday. In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves had increased by USD 5.574 billion to USD 629.557 billion. This is the second consecutive week of an increase in the reserves, which have otherwise been on a declining trend for the last few weeks due to revaluation along with possible forex market interventions by RBI to help reduce volatilities in the rupee, as stated by Governor in RBI monetary policy meet.
Politics
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Delhi legislative assembly elections with 48 out of 70 seats, marking its return to power in the capital after 27 years, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured 22 seats. A party that wins more than the halfway mark of 35 seats can form the government.
AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia lost their seats to BJP candidates. The BJP's campaign focused on financial assistance for women and senior citizens, subsidies on essential goods, and infrastructure development. AAP’s vote share declined by approximately 10% compared to the previous election. The Congress party failed to secure any seats for the third consecutive time but saw a slight increase in its vote share.
IPO Update:
The initial public offer (IPO) of Ajax Engineering received bids for 8,97,483 shares as against 1,41,49,997 shares on offer, according to stock exchange data at 11:15 IST on 10 February 2024. The issue was subscribed to 0.06 times.
The issue opened for bidding on 10 February 2024 and it will close on 12 February 2024. The price band of the IPO is fixed between Rs 599 and Rs 629 per share. An investor can bid for a minimum of 23 equity shares and in multiples thereof.
Buzzing Index:
The Nifty Realty index dropped 2.83% to 891.75. The index rose 0.10% in the past trading session.
Sobha (down 4.38%), Macrotech Developers (down 4.13%), Brigade Enterprises (down 3.1%), Phoenix Mills (down 2.77%), Prestige Estates Projects (down 2.7%), DLF (down 2.57%), Godrej Properties (down 1.80%), Raymond (down 1.71%), Mahindra Lifespace Developers (down 1.68%) and Oberoi Realty (down 1.25%) declined.
Stocks in Spotlight:
Brainbees Solutions rallied 3.85%. The company posted consolidated net loss of Rs 14.73 crore in Q3 FY25, compared with net loss of Rs 48.41 crore posted in Q3 FY24. However, revenue from operations jumped 14.31% to Rs 2,172.3 crore in the third quarter of FY25 as against Rs 1,900.2 crore posted in Q3 FY24.
Natco Pharma declined 1.75%. The company said that it has received final approval of its ANDA for Bosentan tablets for oral suspension (TFOS), which is a generic version of Tracleer by Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc.
Sun TV Network slipped 3.23% after the media company’s standalone net profit declined 20.62% to Rs 347.17 crore on 10.38% drop in revenue from operations to Rs 793.58 crore in Q3 FY25 over Q3 FY24.
Global Markets:
US Dow Jones index futures were up 78 points, suggesting a positive opening for US equities. However, gains were tempered by anticipation of key US inflation data due this week.
Most Asian stocks traded higher on Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened additional tariffs, including on steel and aluminum. This inflationary measure could reduce the likelihood of rate cuts in the US.
The individual indicated that 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the US would be announced on Monday, with other reciprocal tariffs revealed on Tuesday or Wednesday.
These comments followed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's statement that the European Union was prepared to respond "within an hour" if the US imposed tariffs on European goods, underscoring the potential for an escalating trade conflict.
China's retaliatory tariffs on certain US exports are scheduled to take effect on Monday, with no apparent progress in discussions between Beijing and Washington.
Wall Street experienced some recovery buying after significant declines on Friday, when Trump signaled intentions to impose tariffs on US imports to match levies from US trading partners on American goods. These plans were reiterated on Sunday.
Trump on Sunday said that 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to the US would be announced on Monday, shortly after his 10% tariffs on China took effect. These tariffs will supplement existing duties on steel and aluminum, implemented during his previous term and maintained by the current administration, albeit at a reduced level. The move is expected to primarily affect imports from Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, the largest steel exporters to the US. Canada is also the leading aluminum exporter to the US.
On Friday, the S&P 500 decreased by nearly 1%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell by 1.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1%. The Federal Reserve Chair is scheduled to testify before the House of Representatives on Tuesday and Wednesday, where the impact of tariffs on monetary policy is likely to be a prominent topic.