Indices glide as crude slips below deck; Nifty anchors above 24,450 on FII tailwinds

The headline equity benchmarks ended with modest gains today, supported by easing global trade tensions, sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows, and a steady rise in India's foreign exchange reserves, which have now increased for eight consecutive weeks.

Adding to the positive sentiment, Brent crude prices dipped below $60 per barrel during the session, offering relief on the current account front. Investor confidence was further buoyed by record-high GST collections in April and a weakening U.S. dollar. On the sectoral front, all NSE indices except Bank Nifty closed in the green, with auto, energy, and FMCG stocks leading the gains.

The S&P BSE Sensex advanced 294.85 points or 0.37% to 80,796.84. The Nifty 50 index added 114.45 points or 0.47% to 24,461.15.

Adani Enterprises (up 6.96%), Adani Ports & SEZ (up 6.29%) and Mahindra & Mahindra (up 3.11%) boosted the indices.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index surged 1.45% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index soared 1.23%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,562 shares rose and 1,460 shares fell. A total of 180 shares were unchanged.

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, rose 0.43% to 18.34.

Economy:

India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection rose 12.6% year-on-year (YoY) to an all-time high of about Rs 2.37 lakh crore in April. The GST mop-up was Rs 2.10 lakh crore in April 2024 -- the second highest collection ever since GST was rolled out in July 2017. In March 2025, the collection was Rs 1.96 lakh crore.

Meanwhile, India's foreign exchange reserves (Forex) rose by $1.983 billion to $688.129 billion in the week that ended on April 25, extending gains for the eighth straight week, official data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) this week showed.

The RBI data shows that foreign currency assets (FCAs) witnessed an uptick of $2.168 billion, reaching $580.663 billion. In the reported week, the gold reserves with the RBI declined by $207 million, standing at $84.365 billion.

The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which are kept with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), witnessed a rise reaching $18.589 billion, up $21 million in the reporting week. India's foreign exchange reserves rose $8.310 billion to $686.145 billion in the week that ended on April 18.

Numbers to Track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper rose 1.02% to 6.42 as compared with previous close 6.35.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 84.33, compared with its close of 84.57 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 5 June 2025 settlement added 2.08% to Rs 94,563.

The US Dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was down 0.37% to 99.66.

The United States 10-year bond yield shed 0.05% to 4.318.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for July 2025 settlement dropped 0.82 cents or 1.34% to $60.47 a barrel.

Global Markets:

The US Dow Jones index futures were currently down by 243 points, signaling a negative opening for US stocks today.

European market traded mixed on Monday, with U.K. markets closed for a bank holiday, as investors looked ahead to the latest economic data and corporate earnings reports due this week.

Data released on Monday showed that Swiss inflation fell to 0% in April compared to the same month a year earlier. Consumer price data from Turkey is also expected. On the earnings front, several major companies are due to report in the coming days including Novo Nordisk, BMW, Maersk and Commerzbank.

Central Banks across Europe will also be in focus this week, with Sweden's Riskbank, Norway's Norges Bank and the Bank of England among those announcing their latest interest rate decisions.

Most Asian markets were closed today due to public holidays in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and China. However, the Singapore and Jakarta markets remained open and ended in the green.

Investors remained cautious ahead of potential U.S.-China trade negotiations and the upcoming U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting later in the week.

China stated last week that it is considering trade discussions with the United States, emphasizing that any talks must be based on mutual sincerity and the removal of unilateral tariffs. This statement followed recent U.S. comments indicating a willingness to resume negotiations.

In the United States, equities closed higher on Friday, supported by gains in the financial, industrial, and oil and gas sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 1.39%, the S&P 500 gained 1.47%, and the NASDAQ Composite advanced 1.51%.

Apple Inc. shares declined by over 3% following the company's announcement of approximately $900 million in expected tariff-related costs for the upcoming quarter. Although Apple reported fiscal second-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations'driven by stronger-than-anticipated iPhone sales'concerns over tariffs tempered investor sentiment.

Amazon stock ended marginally lower after the company issued softer guidance for the current quarter and reported slower growth in its cloud computing division.

U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 177,000 in the previous month, exceeding expectations and suggesting continued strength in the labor market despite trade policy uncertainties. This followed a downwardly revised gain of 185,000 in March. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2%, while average hourly earnings rose by 0.2%, down slightly from the previous month's 0.3% increase.

The Federal Reserve is set to begin its two-day policy meeting on Tuesday. It is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged amid global economic uncertainty. Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently indicated a cautious stance, citing inflation concerns linked to trade tariffs, despite calls from President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to reduce policy rates.

Stocks in Spotlight:

State Bank of India (SBI) slipped 1.26% after the bank's standalone net profit declined by 9.93% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 18,642.59 crore in Q4 FY25, compared to Rs 20,698.35 crore reported in Q4 FY24. However, total income increased 12.04% YoY to Rs 1,43,876.06 crore in the quarter ended 31 March 2025.

Meanwhile, the bank's board has declared a dividend of Rs 15.90 per equity share for the financial year ending 31 March 2025. The record date for determining shareholders eligible to receive the dividend is Friday, 16 May 2025, and the payment date is set for 30 May 2025.

Kotak Mahindra Bank dropped 4.57% after the private lender's standalone net profit fell 14.07% to Rs 3,551.74 crore in Q4 FY25 as against Rs 4,133.30 crore posted in Q4 FY24. However, total income rose 9.33% year on year (YoY) to Rs 16,712.23 crore in the quarter ended 31 March 2025. Meanwhile, the company's board has recommended a dividend of Rs 2.50 per equity share for the year ended 31 March 2025, subject to approval of shareholders.

City Union Bank rallied 4.87% after the private sector bank's net profit rallied 13% to Rs 288 crore on 15% jump in total income to Rs 1,784 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24.

Indian Bank rallied 3.48% after the company's consolidated net profit jumped 31.56% to Rs 2,956.07 crore on a 10.14% increase in total income to Rs 18,599.16 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24.

Mahindra & Mahindra rallied 3.11% after the auto major's standalone net profit surged 21.85% to Rs 2,437.14 crore in Q4 FY25 as against Rs 2,000.07 crore recorded in Q4 FY24. Revenue from operations increased 24.50% year on year (YoY) to Rs 31,353.40 crore in the quarter ended 31 March 2025.

Marico gained 3.69% after the company reported a 7.86% jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 343 crore in Q4 FY25 compared with Rs 318 crore in Q4 FY24. Revenue from operations increased 19.84% to Rs 2,730 crore during the quarter as compared with Rs 2,278 crore in Q4 FY24.

Meanwhile the company's board recommended final dividend of Rs 7 per equity share of Re 1 each, subject to approval of shareholders at the ensuing 37th Annual General Meeting (AGM). The record date was fixed as Friday, 1 August 2025. The said dividend, if approved by shareholders will be paid on or before Sunday, 7 September 2025.

Avenue Supermarts (Dmart) declined 1% after the company's consolidated net profit fell 2.19% to Rs 550.90 crore in Q4 FY25 as compared with Rs 563.25 crore in Q4 FY24. Revenue from operations jumped 16.86% YoY to Rs 14,871.86 crore during the quarter ended 31st March 2025.

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) jumped 6.29% after the company handled 375 MMT of total cargo volumes during the April 2025, which is higher 4% on a year on year (YoY) basis.

Netweb Technologies India surged 14.31% after the company's consolidated net profit jumped 44.97% to Rs 42.99 crore on 55.95% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 414.65 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24.

R R Kabel soared 14.18% after the company's consolidated net profit jumped 64.04% to Rs 129.13 crore on a 26.44% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 2,217.84 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24.

Ethos fell 1.88% after the company's consolidated net profit slipped 22.86% to Rs 22.75 crore on a 15.84% drop in revenue to Rs 311.32 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q3 FY25.

Nitco slipped 2.24%. The company's consolidated net loss narrowed to Rs 2.90 crore in Q4 FY25, compared with Rs 53.41 crore reported in Q4 FY24. Total revenue from operations jumped 30.30% to Rs 93.53 crore in Q4 FY25 as against Rs 71.78 crore in Q4 FY24.

Kalyani Steels surge 11.24% after it reported a standalone net profit advanced 26.75% to Rs 79.28 crore on an 8.25% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 544.33 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24.

Parag Milk Foods zoomed 14.05% after the company reported a 167% increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 26 crore in Q4 FY25 from Rs 10 crore posted in Q4 FY24. Revenue rose by 16% year-over-year (YoY) to Rs 918 crore during the period under review.

Gravita India jumped 6.70% after the company's consolidated net profit jumped 37.90% to Rs 95.13 crore on 20.11% growth in revenue from operations to Rs 1,037.07 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24.

Azad Engineering gained 5.41% after the company signed an agreement worth $53.5 million with GE Steam Power GMBH for the manufacturing and supply of stationary airfoils for power generation.

RailTel Corporation of India advanced 2.06% after the company received a work order worth Rs 22.75 crore from North Central Railway.

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