Market snap 7-day gains as tariff woes weigh, Nifty below 23,500

The domestic share market ended lower on Wednesday, snapping a seven-day uptrend as investors booked profits amid uncertainty over upcoming U.S. tariffs. Over the past seven sessions, the indices had gained 5.7%, driven by robust foreign inflows and optimism surrounding India's macroeconomic outlook. However, concerns over Trump’s tariff measures, the rupee’s weakness, and higher oil prices weighed on sentiment. At close,the Sensex was down 728.69 points or 0.93 percent to settle at 77,288.50, while the Nifty ended 181.80 points or 0.77 percent lower at 23,486.85. 
IndusInd Bank, Trent, Hero MotoCorp, HCLTech and Bharti Airtel were the top gainers on the Nifty, while losers included NTPC, Tech Mahindra, Cipla, BPCL and Bajaj Finance, according to information. On the sectoral front,all sectoral indices ended in the red, with Nifty Media, Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Realty taking the sharpest cuts of 1-2 percent. BSE Midcap index shed 0.7 percent and Smallcap index was down 1.5 percent, indicating negative market momentum.
Rupee Close:
On 26 March'25,the Indian rupee pared its initial losses and settled for the day higher by 3 paise to close at 85.69 against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday , supported by a resurgence of foreign fund inflows.Forex traders reportedly stated the rupee faces renewed pressure on liquidity constraints, concerns over reciprocal tariff implementations and month-end demand for the U.S. currency from importers.
Trading Guide:
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments reportedly quoted as saying that the market experienced profit booking after the recent gains, on the back of next week's US tariff announcements. The sectors with higher exposure to the US market, like pharma & IT, have witnessed some selling pressure. Market experts have recommended five shares to buy- Shaily Engineering Plastics, Bajaj Healthcare, Cholamandalam Financial Holdings, Kiri Industries, and V2 Retail.

(Business Correspondent)