A weak opening on the cards

Local stocks may slide on weak global cues. Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could fall 106 points at the opening bell. On the earnings front, Indiabulls Housing Finance and Titan Company will announce their Q1 results today, 6 August 2019.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading lower Tuesday as the US-China trade war intensified, after Beijing confirmed it is suspending agricultural product purchases in response to new American tariffs. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Chinese companies have stopped purchasing American agricultural products in response to Trump's latest salvo and added it would not rule out tariffs on newly purchased agricultural goods after August 3. For its part, China is one of the largest buyers of U.S. agriculture.

US stocks suffered their biggest one-day decline of 2019 on Monday as China allowed its currency to fall to a more-than-10-year low versus the dollar after President Donald Trump rattled markets by announcing additional tariffs on Chinese goods late last week. President Donald Trump said last week the US is putting 10% tariffs on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods starting September 1.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday the government had determined that China is manipulating its currency, and that Washington would engage with the International Monetary Fund to eliminate unfair competition from Beijing.

In economic data, the Institute for Supply Management said its nonmanufacturing, or services, index fell to 53.7% in July from 55.1% in June. The reading was the lowest since August 2016. A reading of more than 50 indicates expansion in activity.

Back home, key equity benchmarks tumbled on Monday, after a recovery in the previous trading session. The government's move to scrap special status of the disputed Kashmir region spooked investors. Weak global cues triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on more Chinese imports also put pressure on domestic shares. The Sensex fell 418.38 points or 1.13% to settle at 36,699.84, its lowest closing level since 8 March 2019. The Nifty 50 index fell 134.75 points or 1.23% to settle at 10,862.60, its lowest closing level since 28 February 2019.

The trading activity on that day showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 2016.73 crore yesterday, 5 August 2019, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1871.27 crore yesterday, 5 August 2019, as per provisional data.

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