The Indian stock market remained range-bound in Thursday’s trade, July 30, as investor sentiment stayed fragile amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. At the same time, concerns over a potential U.S. Federal Reserve rate hike intensified after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh reiterated the central bank’s commitment to bringing inflation back to its target.
Meanwhile, domestic factors also remained unfavourable for the market, with corporate earnings for the June quarter delivering a mixed performance so far. The Nifty 50 ended the session with a gain of 0.35% at 24,335, while the Sensex edged up 0.29% to close at 77,877.
The broader market, however, ended in the red, with both the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 indices declining by more than 0.40%.
Among sectoral indices, Nifty Auto and Nifty Oil & Gas emerged as the top performers, gaining 1.50% and 0.46%, respectively. On the other hand, Nifty Realty, Nifty Chemicals, and Nifty FMCG were the biggest laggards, declining by as much as 2%.
The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept benchmark interest rates unchanged for the fifth consecutive meeting. The central bank reiterated that the Committee remains committed to restoring price stability but did not provide further details on how or when it would intervene.
Inflation has remained above the Fed’s 2% target for an extended period, prompting several policymakers to advocate further policy tightening.
Meanwhile, tensions in West Asia escalated after U.S. forces reportedly carried out fresh strikes on Iran in response to attacks on American forces across the Middle East. The latest strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran “very hard” following attacks on a military base in Jordan hosting U.S. troops.
In the commodity market, Brent crude climbed above $92 per barrel as the renewed escalation in geopolitical tensions heightened concerns over potential supply disruptions.
Earnings optimism drives buying across select stocks
Stronger-than-expected June-quarter earnings boosted shares of several companies, with Balkrishna Industries, Redington, and LT Foods rising 10%, 9%, and 5.4%, respectively. Sona BLW Precision Forgings also extended its rally for a second consecutive session, gaining another 6% to ₹762.40 apiece.
Auto stocks also attracted strong buying interest. Hero MotoCorp advanced 3.3% to ₹5,319 per share, while peer TVS Motor Company gained 3.1% to ₹4,200. Swiggy ended 3% higher ahead of its June-quarter earnings announcement.
Among other gainers, battery makers Amara Raja Energy & Mobility and Exide Industries each climbed 2.4%. Stocks including Godfrey Phillips India, Syrma SGS Technology, Alkem Laboratories, Sagility India, IIFL Finance, GE Vernova T&D India, Maruti Suzuki India, Havells India, Coforge, and Nykaa also gained more than 2% during the session.
Q1 disappointments hammer several counters
While investors rewarded companies that delivered strong June-quarter earnings, stocks reporting weaker-than-expected results came under heavy selling pressure. PCBL Chemical and KPIT Technologies tumbled 10% and 7.5%, respectively, after their quarterly earnings failed to impress the Street.
Hexaware Technologies also witnessed a sharp decline, falling 7% following the release of its June-quarter results. Meanwhile, the earnings-led sell-off in City Union Bank extended into a second consecutive session, with the stock dropping another 6% to ₹215 apiece.
Among other major losers, Prime Focus, Premier Energies, Aditya Infotech, and Vardhman Textiles fell more than 5%, making them some of the worst-performing stocks in the Nifty 500 index.
Meanwhile, HFCL resumed its decline, tumbling 5% to ₹183 apiece and snapping a two-day winning streak.
Other stocks, including Supreme Petrochem, Gujarat Fluorochemicals, Netweb Technologies, Waaree Energies, Chalet Hotels, Colgate-Palmolive, and Angel One, declined between 3% and 4.3% during the session.
Disclaimer: We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
