Sensex sinks 931 pts; Nifty ends below 22,950; metal stocks under pressure

The domestic equity benchmarks ended with major losses today, declining for the second consecutive session. The losses were driven by weak global cues and U.S. President Donald Trump's broad tariff announcements, which heightened concerns about a potential global recession. The Nifty ended below the 22,950 mark. Barring the Nifty FMCG index, all the other sectoral indices on the NSE ended in red.

As per provisional closing, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, tanked 930.67 points or 1.22% to 75,364.36. The Nifty 50 index dropped 345.65 points or 1.49% to 22,904.45. In the past two trading sessions, the Sensex and Nifty dropped by 1.64% and 1.83%, respectively.

The broader market underperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index tumbled 3.08% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index slumped 3.43%.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,139 shares rose and 2,801 shares fell. A total of 136 shares were unchanged.

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, added 1.13% to 13.76.

Economy:

The HSBC final India Services Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by S&P Global, fell to 58.5 last month from 59.0 in February but was higher than a preliminary estimate that showed a fall to 57.7. However, it remained comfortably ahead of the 50-mark separating contraction from growth.

The HSBC India Composite PMI, which included robust manufacturing growth, rose to a seven-month high of 59.5 in March from February's 58.8, reflecting stronger overall private sector growth. Manufacturing growth outpaced services, but both sectors saw moderating employment growth and business confidence.

Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC, said, "India recorded a 58.5 services PMI in March 2025, softening slightly from the month prior. Domestic and international demand remained fairly buoyant, despite being sequentially a tick lower than the month before. Meanwhile, job creation and charge inflation both cooled during March. Looking ahead, business sentiment remains generally positive, but intensifying competition presents a significant challenge to many survey participants."

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index tumbled 6.56% to 8,414.45. The index tanked 7.33% in the two consecutive trading sessions.

Hindustan Copper (down 8.79%), Tata Steel (down 8.64%), National Aluminium Company (down 8.64%), Vedanta (down 8.58%), Hindalco Industries (down 8.04%), NMDC (down 7.75%), Jindal Stainless (down 7.16%), Hindustan Zinc (down 6.95%), Jindal Steel & Power (down 6.04%), and Lloyds Metals & Energy (down 6.04%) tumbled.

Vedanta tumbled 8.58%. The company announced that total aluminum production advanced 1% to 603,000 tonnes in Q4 FY25 as compared with 598,000 tonnes in Q4 FY24.

Stocks in Spotlight:

HDFC Bank added 1.22% after the banks average deposits stood at Rs 25,27,900 crore as of 31st March 2025, registering the growth of around 15.8% as compared with Rs 21,83,600 crore as of 31st March 2024.

Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) declined 2.82%. The company said that its board has approved a borrowing programme of up to Rs 65,000 crore for the financial year 2025-2026, depending upon actual funds requirements.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders dropped 7.29% after the Government of India announced its proposal to sell a 4.83% stake in the company through an offer for sale (OFS) at a floor price of Rs 2,525 per share.

L&T Finance declined 0.18%. The firm announced that its retail disbursements for Q4 FY25 were Rs 14,870 crore, registering a degrowth of 1.16% compared to Rs 14,531 crore recorded in Q4 FY24.

Bajaj Finance advanced 1.69% after the company reported a 36% increase in new loans booked during Q4 FY24 to 10.70 million as compared to 7.87 million in Q4 FY24.

Angel One tanked 7.40%. The firm announced that its client base surged 39.5% to 31.02 million in March 2025 as compared with 22.24 million in March 2024.

Bandhan Bank fell 1.98%. The banks total deposits rose by 11.8% to Rs 151,209 crore in the quarter ended 31 March 2025, compared to Rs 135,202 crore recorded in the quarter ended 31 March 2024.

Emcure Pharmaceuticals slipped 3.70%. The company said that its European subsidiary Tillomed Laboratories has entered into an asset purchase agreement (APA) with UK based Manx Healthcare.

Jammu & Kashmir Bank fell 3.06%. The bank said that its gross advances jumped 11.32% to Rs 1,06,986.16 crore as of 31st March 2025, compared with Rs 96,981.86 crore as of 31st March 2024.

Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) shed 1.62%. The company said that it has achieved highest ever quarterly electricity traded volume of 31,747 million units (MU), marking a year-on-year increase of 18%.

Premier Energies fell 1.95%. The company announced that it has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary in the name of Premier-Green Aluminium (PGAPL).

Global Markets:

US Dow Jones index futures tumbled 404 points, signaling a weak opening for Wall Street.

European shares tumbled while Asian stocks ended lower on Friday, mirroring the steep declines in U.S. equities overnight after the announcement of new U.S. tariffs. Markets in Hong Kong and China were closed in observance of the Qingming Festival.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a new tariff policy applying reciprocal rates to over 180 countries and territories. The move has heightened concerns of a potential global trade conflict, prompting a broad-based sell-off in equities.

Overnight in the U.S., the three major averages plummeted. The S&P 500 slid back into correction territory, dropping 4.84% to 5,396.52. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1,679.39 points, or 3.98%, to close at 40,545.93 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 5.97% to end at 16,550.61, logging its biggest decline since March 2020.

Apple Inc. shares declined more than 9% amid investor concerns over the impact of the new 54% tariff on Chinese imports. As Apple relies heavily on Chinese manufacturing and global supply chains, the tariffs are expected to increase production costs, potentially pressuring profit margins or leading to higher consumer prices.

Retailers were also hit hard, with Nike Inc. stock falling more than 14%. Meanwhile, plane maker Boeing Co. shares declined 11%. Tesla Inc. shares closed 5.5% lower, while NVIDIA Corporation lost 8%.

Investors are now focused on the upcoming U.S. payrolls report and a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for further insight into the labor market and potential implications for monetary policy.

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