FPJ News Service mumbai

Markets traded sideways on Monday as investor sentiment turned cautious amid renewed trade tensions, as the final deal with the US is expected to be postponed, adding uncertainties in the short term. After oscillating between highs and lows, the 30-share BSE Sensex settled 9.61 points higher at 83,442.50. The 50-share NSE Nifty ended unchanged at 25,461.30.

“Domestically, the Q1FY26 quarter earnings are viewed optimistically by investors as triggers to adopt an accumulation strategy. FMCG stocks garnered attention on expectations of a sequential uptick in urban demand, underpinned by margin stabilization,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments, said.

“Concerns surrounding a US-India trade deal will influence market movements. There are reports of a possible interim trade deal before the July 9 deadline. If that happens, that would be a positive. The regulatory action on Jane Street and its implications will be closely watched by the market. The volume of derivative trading is likely to take a hit impacting stock exchanges and some brokerages. This has implications for their stock prices, too.

“The short-term issues are unlikely to have any long-term impact on the market. Short-term dips can be used by long-term investors to buy high quality stocks, preferably in fairly valued largecaps. Q1 results expectations are modest. So watch out for the outperformers,” said, Dr VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments.

Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Trent, Reliance Industries, Asian Paints and ITC were among the top gainers. Bharat Electronics Ltd, Tech Mahindra, UltraTech Cement, Maruti and Eternal were among the top losers.  In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed lower while South Korea’s Kospi and Shanghai’s SSE Composite index ended higher. European markets were trading on a mixed note. Global oil benchmark Brent crude went up by 0.29% to $68.50 a barrel.