Nifty Holds 23,400 Despite IT/Auto Drag; Banks Shine, IndusInd Bank Rallies 7%

On 16 April 2025, Indian equity markets extended their upward momentum, marking the third straight session of gains. This was primarily led by strong corporate earnings, easing inflationary pressures, and growing anticipation of a monetary policy shift.

The Sensex gained 0.4% to close at 77,044.29, while the Nifty 50 gained 0.47% to finish the day at 23,437.20.

• Nifty 50 is up 0.47%
• Sensex is  up 0.4%
• Bank Nifty is up 1.1%

You can track daily market activity in the Ticker's Market Section. 

Banking stocks led the gains, while the IT and auto sectors faced selling pressure.

Key Reasons Behind Today's Market Movement

1. Global Market Cues

Global markets played a crucial role in shaping today's positive momentum:

• US Markets: Concerning the cumulative effects of various tariffs, the United States' additional tariffs on certain Chinese imports could be as much as 245%, which exacerbated the trade dispute. In response, China took retaliatory measures, including restrictions on exports of rare earth metals and boycotts of Boeing aircraft.
  
  - Dow Jones Futures Today: 40,537.00 (-0.09%)
  - Nasdaq Futures Today:18,712.75 (-1.31%)
  - S&P 500 Futures Today: 5,392.50 (-0.66%)
   *As of 15:32 IST
   
• Asian Markets: Indian markets outperformed regional peers.
  
  - Nikkei: 33,920.40 (-1.01%)
  - Hang Seng: 21,056.98 (-1.91%) 
  - Shanghai Composite: 3,662.15 (0.26%)

2. FII & DII Activity (15th April 2025)

FIIs: Net buyers, investing ₹6,065.8 Cr.
DIIs: Net sellers, withdrawing ₹1,951.6 Cr.

Did you know you can find out where FIIs or DIIs are increasing holdings using Ticker's Stock Screener for free. Just paste the query FII Holding Q1 >FII Holding Q2 in the screener and get a list of stocks where FII have increased their holdings compared to the previous quarter. 

3. Sectoral & Stock Performance

Top Performing Sectors

Banking stocks led gains, with IndusInd Bank notably gaining nearly 4% after reducing the estimated impact from derivative discrepancies..

Top Gainers & Losers

From the Nifty 200 index, here is the list of top gainers and losers among stocks.

Get the updated stocks daily on ticker. 

4. Macro & Economic Factors Impacting the Market

• Rupee Gains Against USD: The Indian rupee strengthened for a third consecutive session, closing at 85.535 against the U.S. dollar, up 0.17%.

• Volatility Index: The India VIX remained relatively stable, indicating subdued market volatility.

• Crude Oil Prices: Brent crude prices hovered around $65 per barrel.

5. Market Sentiment & Key Triggers

1. Above Average Monsoon: The India Meteorological Department forecasts that the country will receive above-average rainfall in 2025, estimated at 105% of the long-term average. This favourable outlook will boost agricultural output, stabilise food prices, and support economic growth.
    
2. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Q4 FY25 Results: ICICI Prudential Life Insurance reported a 122% year-on-year increase in standalone net profit to ₹385 crore for Q4 FY25, driven by robust demand for group insurance products.
    

3. IREDA Q1 FY25 Results: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) reported a 49% increase in consolidated net profit to ₹502 crore for Q4 FY25, primarily due to higher revenues, up by 37%.

Conclusion & Investment Strategy

Despite headwinds from global trade tensions and sector-specific obstacles, the Indian markets have shown good resilience. Their strong domestic fundamentals and favourable institutional investor mood have helped them plot a positive course.

Investors should look for high-quality stocks in sectors like banking and infrastructure, especially with sound fundamentals.