Indian benchmarks likely to open flat on weak global sentiments
India's benchmark indexes are set to open little changed on Monday as muted earnings from Infosys and weak global sentiments could likely offset better-than-expected quarterly numbers from HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.
Gift Nifty futures were trading at 23,823.5 as of 7:50 a.m. IST, indicating a 0.1% fall for the Nifty 50 from its Thursday's close of 23,851.65.
Asian equities and U.S. stock futures inched lower in early trading on the day, as anxiety over tariffs and public criticism of the Federal Reserve by U.S. President Donald Trump hit sentiment.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar continued to weaken, likely supporting foreign inflows into India.
Foreign portfolio investors have been net buyers in India in the last three sessions due to a weak dollar and expectations of better growth prospects in India despite global uncertainty, as per VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments.
Stock-specific action is expected to remain prominent in the market amid the earnings season.
HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank reported better-than-expected earnings for the March quarter over the weekend.
HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank's shares had risen 7.2% and 5.5%, respectively, last week, to hit record high levels on expectations of improved net interest margins in the medium term and better earnings prospects.
The gains in heavyweight stocks propelled Indian benchmarks to their best week in over four years.
Information technology major Infosys missed fourth-quarter revenue estimates and forecast a weak fiscal 2026 as global economic uncertainty, tariff disruptions and cautious client spending weighed on the sector's outlook.
STOCKS TO WATCH
** IndusInd Bank appoints Santosh Kumar as deputy CFO, at a time when the lender has come under the central bank's scrutiny for accounting lapses
** HDFC Life Insurance posts profit jump on high demand for group insurance offerings
** Yes Bank beats January-March quarter earnings estimate due to falling loan-loss provisions
