Indian markets rise on trade hopes and foreign inflows
CHENNAI: Stock markets — the Sensex and Nifty — moved higher on Monday, lifted by easing global trade tensions and steady foreign investment. The rally extended their longest winning streak of 2025 so far, driven by optimism around a potential India-U.S. trade deal. The Sensex rose over 300 points, while the Nifty crossed 24,450.
Ten of the 13 major sectoral indices advanced in early trade. Broader indices, including small- and mid-cap stocks, also gained around 0.4% each. Market sentiment remained positive, with foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) buying Indian equities for the 12th consecutive session on Friday — their longest such streak in two years.
Top Movers in Morning Trade:
Adani Ports: Shares extended their rally after a 4.4% gain on Friday, leading the Nifty index. The stock has now erased all of its 2025 losses, up 7.2% year-to-date. It has risen 11% over the past month but remains 2% lower over the last six months.
Tata Motors (NSE: TATAMOTORS): The stock opened strong and climbed 1.03% to ₹658.70 by 9:23 AM. It attracted early buying on the back of a technical rebound and overall strength in the auto sector.
Marico: Shares surged 5% to a high of ₹733.30 on the BSE after the FMCG major reported an 8% year-on-year rise in net profit for the March quarter, increasing to ₹343 crore from ₹318 crore last year.
Lagging Stocks:
State Bank of India (SBI): The stock slipped 2% to an intraday low of ₹784 after the country’s largest public sector bank reported a 10% year-on-year decline in Q4FY25 net profit, down to ₹18,642.59 crore from ₹20,698.35 crore.
Kotak Mahindra Bank: Shares fell 3.6% to ₹2,102.20 after the lender posted a 14% drop in standalone net profit for Q4FY25 — ₹3,551.74 crore versus ₹4,133.3 crore a year earlier.
Avenue Supermarts (DMart): The stock declined 3.5% to ₹3,916.15 after brokerages Motilal Oswal and Nuvama cut their target prices, citing the company’s underwhelming Q4 performance.