Indices edge lower in early trade; Nifty below 24,950 mark; VIX rises 1.78%

The domestic equity indices traded with minor losses in early trade, snapping a four-day winning streak, as weak cues from Asian and US markets dampened investor sentiment.

The Nifty traded below the 24,950 mark. IT and consumer durables shares advanced while all other indices traded in red.

At 09:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 121.02 points or 0.15% to 81,529.48. The Nifty 50 index shed 45.05 points or 0.18% to 24,935.60.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index shed 0.16% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 0.17%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,558 shares rose and 1,289 shares fell. A total of 186 shares were unchanged.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 634.26 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,261.06 crore in the Indian equity market on 19 August 2025, provisional data showed.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Lloyds Metals and Energy added 2.85% after the company has emerged successful bidder for the Tandsi - III and Tandsi - III Extension coking coal mine, securing the project with a premium of 10.5%. Located on the Madhya PradeshMaharashtra border, approximately 400 kilometers from Ghugus, the mine spans an area of around 338 hectares and holds estimated total reserves of 23 million metric tonnes.

GMR Power & Urban Infra rose 1.51% after the companys board is scheduled to meet on 22 August 2025, to consider raising funds upto Rs 3,000 crore in one or more tranches through issue of securities including qualified institutions placement (QIP) and/or foreign currency convertible bonds(FCCBs) and/or any other securities.

Numbers to Track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper rose 0.43% to 6.512 from the previous close of 6.512.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 87.1000 compared with its close of 87.1300 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 3 October 2025 settlement shed 0.07% to Rs 98,628.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.09% to 98.35.

The United States 10-year bond yield rose 0.16% to 4.309.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for October 2025 settlement rose 7 cent or 0.11% to $65.86 a barrel.

Global Markets:

Markets in Asia traded lower on Wednesday, weighed down by a tech-led selloff on Wall Street recorded yesterday.

Japans exports dropped 2.6% year over year in July, notching their steepest drop in over four years. The fall was sharper than the widely expected 2.1% contraction and compared to the 0.5% drop seen in June.

Meanwhile, China kept benchmark lending rates unchanged for the third consecutive month on Wednesday, as authorities signalled they are in no rush to deliver monetary stimulus despite a string of recent disappointing economic data. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.0%, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 3.5%.

Overnight stateside, the S&P 500 pulled back, weighed down by Nvidia shares and a broad decline in technology stocks. The broad market S&P 500 lost 0.59% and closed at 6,411.37, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.46% to settle at 21,314.95.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 10.45 points, or 0.02%, and ended at 44,922.27. The 30-stock index touched a fresh record high during the session.

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