HOME > MARKETS > MARKET COMMENTARY
  MARKET COMMENTARY
EQUITY
Markets hold gains in late trade
Aug-18-2025

Indian equity markets continued hold gains in late trade following the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of next generational GST reforms by Diwali, which will bring down the tax burden on consumers as well as MSMEs. Investors also took support of S&P Global upgrading India's sovereign ratings from BBB- to BBB with a stable outlook. Further, forecast released by Export-Import Bank of India signalling merchandise exports may grow 4.5 per cent to $108.1 billion in Q2 of FY26 has kept the trading sentiments upbeat. 

On the global front, Asian equity markets were trading mixed as traders remained cautious ahead of upcoming Federal Reserve Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole speech for clues on whether the U.S. central bank will cut interest rates next month. European equity markets were trading mostly in red as investors reacted to ongoing U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 81465.58, up by 867.92 points or 1.08% after trading in a range of 81202.42 and 81765.77. There were 20 stocks advancing against 10 stocks declining on the index.

The broader indices were trading in green; the BSE Mid cap index surged 1.20%, while Small cap index was up by 1.40%.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Auto up by 4.57%, Consumer Durables up by 3.31%, Consumer Disc up by 3.06%, Realty up by 2.56% and Basic Materials up by 2.02%, while IT down by 0.28% was the losing index on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Maruti Suzuki up by 8.77%, Bajaj Finance up by 5.53%, Mahindra & Mahindra up by 4.26%, Trent up by 4.11% and Bajaj Finserv up by 4.08%. On the flip side, Larsen & Toubro down by 0.93%, ITC down by 0.74%, Eternal down by 0.71%, Tech Mahindra down by 0.70% and Infosys down by 0.63% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, Special Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Rajesh Agrawal has said that the India-Singapore relationship has evolved well beyond traditional trade. During the 4th Meeting of the India-Singapore Joint Working Group on Trade & Investment (JWGTI), he also noted that while the two countries already enjoy robust engagement in trade and investment, there remain ample opportunities for further cooperation.

Discussions during the JWGTI focused on deepening bilateral trade and investment ties, identifying priority sectors for greater alignment, improving logistics and supply chains, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and exploring ways to facilitate cross-border trade. Besides, the meeting reviewed ongoing collaboration in areas such as the semiconductor sector and digitalisation of trade, and explored potential partnerships in skills development, capacity building, and other emerging sectors for mutual benefit. Both sides agreed on the importance of more frequent engagements to translate these opportunities into concrete outcomes.

Meanwhile, Singapore is India’s largest trading partner within ASEAN, with total bilateral trade of $34.26 billion during 2024-25. It is also India’s second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with equity inflows of $163.85 billion (Rs 11,24,509.65 crore) between April 2000 and July 2024, accounting for about 24% of India’s cumulative inflows.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 24917.90, up by 286.60 points or 1.16% after trading in a range of 24852.85 and 25022.00. There were 39 stocks advancing against 11 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Maruti Suzuki up by 8.66%, Hero MotoCorp up by 6.10%, Nestle up by 5.72%, Bajaj Finance up by 5.55% and Bajaj Auto up by 4.45%. On the flip side, Larsen & Toubro down by 0.83%, ITC down by 0.75%, Tech Mahindra down by 0.72%, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries down by 0.68% and Eternal down by 0.68% were the top losers.

Asian equity markets were trading mixed; Nikkei 225 surged 385.69 points or 0.88% to 43,764.00, Taiwan Weighted added 148.04 points or 0.6% to 24,482.52 and Shanghai Composite strengthened 31.26 points or 0.84% to 3,728.03, while Hang Seng declined 103.07 points or 0.41% to 25,167.00, Straits Times fell 38.4 points or 0.91% to 4,192.13, Jakarta Composite plunged 32.87 points or 0.42% to 7,898.38 and KOSPI dropped 48.38 points or 1.52% to 3,177.28.

European equity markets were trading mostly in red; France’s CAC fell 37.65 points or 0.48% to 7,885.80 and Germany’s DAX lost 44.8 points or 0.18% to 24,314.50, while UK’s FTSE 100 increased 0.52 points or 0.01% to 9,139.42.
  RELATED NEWS >>
Most Viewed >>
August 12 , 2025
Mutual fund equity inflows jump 81% to Rs.42,7
August 13 , 2025
Higher returns drive investor to money market
August 04 , 2025
Quant Mutual Fund gets SEBI nod to launch Indi
August 13 , 2025
MF roster swells to 50: 8 licences issued in 2
EXPLORE
© CITRUS INTERACTIVE
Designed & Developed Accord Fintech Pvt. Ltd.