Indian equities ended Monday’s trading session, October 13, with mild losses, as a sharp recovery in the second half helped the key benchmark indices pare their early declines and stay above crucial levels.
The Nifty 50 closed 0.23% lower at 25,227, while the S&P BSE Sensex lost 0.21% to finish at 82,327 points. Broader markets, however, closed mixed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 advancing 0.11%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 closed 0.17% lower.
Among sectors, Nifty PSU Bank led the gains with a 0.24% surge, followed by Media and Nifty Private Bank, both rising 0.10%.
On the downside, the Nifty FMCG index was the top laggard, slipping 0.90%, followed by Nifty Consumer Durables and Nifty IT, which declined 0.84% and 0.78%, respectively. Others, including Nifty Metal, Nifty Oil & Gas, and Nifty Auto, also closed lower.
The markets initially reacted negatively to renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and China after Donald Trump imposed a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports. The move came in response to Beijing adding more rare earth minerals to its export restriction list. However, the sentiment later cooled as markets took note of Trump’s softened stance, with him clarifying that the U.S. does not intend to “hurt China.”
