Weekly Market Recap: Nifty Struggles, Metals Shine!

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Weekly Recap

Markets declined for the second straight week, navigating another round of volatility. Here's our take on this week gone by, some stories you might have missed out on, and our thoughts on what to do going ahead, in your weekly stock market report.

Staying Red

  • The Nifty struggled to break out of its downtrend last week, closing 0.58% lower than the previous Friday’s levels.
  • Geopolitical tensions kept global cues subdued, dampening market sentiment and restricting buying momentum on D-Street.

The Big Stories

  • Investors have increasingly had to factor in growing concerns over the raft of tariffs and the hawkish stance the Trump administration appears to be taking towards India.
  • Attention was also on the Fed, which indicated it would hold rates steady amid rapidly rising inflation expectations in the US, driven by trade disputes.

The Winners

  • The Metals sector led the gains last week, with the sectoral index rising 5.2% as investor optimism grew over a potential US-China trade deal.
  • NTPC surged 8.6% over the week after announcing plans to build 30 GW of nuclear power capacity over the next 20 years—more than three times the initial projections.

The Losers

  • The Auto sector faced turbulence last week, with Mahindra & Mahindra taking the biggest hit—its stock tumbled 9.3% over the week.
  • Selling pressure intensified after reports suggested the government might significantly cut EV import duties, potentially paving the way for Tesla’s entry into the Indian market.

Meanwhile…

  • U.S. business activity nearly stalled in February, plunging to a 17-month low as concerns over import tariffs and deep federal spending cuts grew. 
  • At home, the Ministry of Power signalled that domestic peak power demand this summer could reach a record 270 GW, with coal playing a key role in meeting the surge.
  • Youth unemployment climbed to 16.1% in urban areas in Q3 FY25, with manufacturing hiring expected to slow in the near-to-medium term.

Brief

Sectors

Stocks

Other Key Data

Market Outlook

Sectors to Watch:

Our Take

  • With geopolitical and macro risks escalating under the Trump administration, investors should brace for continued uncertainty in the markets.
  • The bearish sentiment is likely to persist on D-Street next week, with the Nifty expected to trade between 22,400 and 23,100 levels during the period.


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