Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian equity benchmarks, opened in red on Friday. While Nifty50 went below 25,300, BSE Sensex was down over 500 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,274.65, down 144 points or 0.57%. BSE Sensex was at 82,056.49, down 510 points or 0.62%.Analysts expect stock-specific movements to take centre stage as investors position themselves ahead of the Union Budget. Global and domestic market cues point to a cautious, rangebound trading environment.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “As we near the Budget Day there are headwinds and tailwinds for the market. Geopolitical issues continue to plague global trade with continuous threats of tariff weaponisation by Trump. The spike in Brent crude to near $ 70 is a headwind for Indian macros in general and industries that use oil as inputs, in particular. However, these headwinds are likely to be countered by the positive message from the Economic Survey that projects GDP growth of 6.8 to 7.2% growth in FY 27.”“With 3.5% headline inflation, India is headed for around 10% nominal GDP growth in FY27. This has the potential to deliver 15 to 17% earnings growth in FY 27, imparting resilience to the market. The steady decline in FPI outflows during the last two days indicate a possible change in FPI strategy. Another significant trend is India’s success in diversification of its export market away from the US to other markets. From early 2027 onwards this trend will gain momentum with the India- EU trade deal getting implemented. Overall, at this juncture, tailwinds are stronger than headwinds and this is positive for markets in the medium to long-term.”US equities ended lower on Thursday, as concerns over corporate earnings and uncertainty around heavy investments in artificial intelligence weighed on sentiment. The S&P 500 and the tech-focused Nasdaq slipped after investors questioned whether massive AI-related spending by large technology firms would translate into sustainable returns.Early on Friday, futures linked to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 were down about 0.2 per cent. Technology stocks remained in focus after Apple flagged that rising component costs could pressure its margins, despite reporting earnings that beat market expectations. The stock posted marginal gains in extended trade, while Asian markets opened slightly higher.Back home, foreign portfolio investors continued to trim exposure, selling equities worth Rs 394 crore on Thursday, according to provisional data. In contrast, domestic institutional investors provided support to the market, purchasing shares valued at Rs 2,639 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)