May 2 - Sensex ends above 80k, Nifty muted; Rupee hits 2025 high, Banks gain while Phoenix Mills plunges 7%

Indian equity markets ended marginally higher on May 2, 2025, after a volatile session. The Sensex climbed up 259.75 points at 80,501.99 and the Nifty 50 rose 12.50 points to 24,346.70. Domestic indices volatile during the day, as profit booking in auto, FMCG & metal stocks resulted in the domestic indices erasing most of their earlier gains, despite positive global cues on the day.

• Nifty 50 is up 0.05%
• Sensex is up 0.32%
• Bank Nifty is up 0.41%

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

Key Reasons Behind Today's Market Movement

1. Global Market Cues

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

• US Markets: U.S. indices ended higher in the previous session, buoyed by strong earnings from tech majors such as Microsoft and Meta.
  
  - Dow Jones Futures Today: 0.49%
  - Nasdaq Futures Today: 0.28%
  - S&P 500 Futures Today: 0.45%
   *As of 15:27 IST
   
• Asian Markets: Asian markets also showed strong performance as both the Nikkei and Hang Seng rose over 1%.
  
  - Nikkei: 1.04%
  - Hang Seng: 1.74%
  - Shanghai Composite: -0.21%

2. FII & DII Activity (As of April 30, 2025)

FIIs: Net buyers with inflows of ₹50.6 Cr.
DIIs: Net buyers with inflows of ₹1792.2 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 DII Holding Q1 > DII Holding Q2 in the screener and get a list of stocks where DII have increased their holdings compared to the previous quarter. 

3. Sectoral & Stock Performance

Sectors Performance

• Top Gaining Sectors: Banks, Financials
• Laggards: Metals, Auto, FMCG

Top Gainers & Losers

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

On May 2, 2025, the Indian stock market witnessed notable volatility, with Godrej Properties leading the gainers' list by rising 4.21% to ₹2,249.35. The surge was followed closely by Adani Ports, which climbed 4.11%, reflecting strong buying interest in the infrastructure and logistics sector.

Indian Oil Corporation also posted a 3.95% gain, indicating positive sentiment in the energy space. On the downside, Phoenix Mills was the top loser of the day, tumbling 7.65% to ₹1,536.50, likely due to profit booking or sector-specific headwinds.

Indus Towers followed with a 7.07% drop, while JSW Steel slid 5.46%, pulling down the broader metal sector. Other prominent laggards included Cochin Shipyard and One97 Communications, both losing over 3%.

These movements suggest a sectoral rotation as investors reassess their positions amid mixed earnings and global cues.

4. Macro & Economic Factors Impacting the Market

• Currency Movement: The Indian Rupee strengthened significantly, closing at ₹83.96/USD, appreciating by 0.87%, the strongest level of 2025 so far.

• Crude Oil Prices: Brent Crude held steady around $61.7 per barrel, with little volatility despite global developments.

• India VIX: Up by 0.19% to 18.26, suggesting a slight increase in short-term market volatility.

• Gold & Silver: Gold prices declined as easing geopolitical tensions reduced investor demand for safe-haven assets. The 24K gold price dropped by ₹97 to ₹9,339 per gram, while 22K gold fell to ₹8,555 per gram, also down ₹97. Silver remained unchanged at ₹98 per gram.

5. Market Sentiment & Key Triggers

• Profit Booking: Despite a positive start driven by strong global sentiment, Indian markets saw broad-based profit booking in the second half, particularly in auto and metal stocks.

• Geopolitical Stability: Unlike earlier sessions, the India-Pakistan border situation remained stable, helping curb volatility in Indian indices.

• Corporate Earnings:

  • Adani Ports: Reported robust growth with a 48% jump in profit.

  • Bajaj Finance: Attracted attention with its bonus issue announcement.

  • JSW Steel: Fell sharply despite sector resilience, possibly on fears of weak upcoming results or bearish metal prices.

• Global Tech Boost: Wall Street’s strong performance, fuelled by tech earnings of the likes of Microsoft, provided an initial lift to Indian equities, especially large-cap tech-linked companies.

Conclusion & Investment Strategy

Markets finished the week with small advances, buoyed by healthy global signals and FII inflows. However, the gains were dampened by profit booking and weakness in cyclical sectors. As more earnings announcements are released, investor sentiment will depend on global economic signals and developments in inflation and interest rates in key economies.

From Finology Research Desk:

In the current context, it makes sense to remain invested in quality financial and banking names with strong balance sheets and visibility on earnings. Monitor the auto and metals space for potential recovery plays as those sectors have been beaten down. Most importantly, be diversified and stay nimble on geopolitical and global macro developments.