By Vivek Kumar M
(Reuters) -India’s equity benchmarks edged down in early trade on Monday, as losses in information technology stocks following weak earnings overshadowed gains in other sectors.
The Nifty 50 fell 0.25% to 25,087.85 points, while the BSE Sensex lost 0.31% to 82,243.94, as of 9:47 a.m. IST.
The IT index slid more than 1% and was the biggest sectoral loser, extending its 4% fall last week, as uncertainty over U.S. tariffs continued to weigh on demand.
Sector leader Tata Consultancy Services posted weak results last week, which propelled investors to remain cautious ahead of the earnings from other companies in the sector, analysts said.
Wipro, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra and Infosys fell in the range of 1.1%-1.4%, and were among the top five Nifty 50 losers on the day.
While Infosys is scheduled to report its earnings next week, the other three will report their quarterly numbers this week.
“The (market) momentum is slackening as earnings visibility remains feeble, and factors supporting valuations are fading,” said Dhananjay Sinha, CEO and co-head of institutional equities at Systematix Group.
Ten of the 13 major sectors advanced in early trade. The broader mid- and small-caps rose 0.4% and 0.7%, respectively.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would impose a 30% tariff on most imports from the European Union and Mexico from August 1, even as they are locked in long negotiations.
Among individual stocks, exchange operator BSE and Jane Street’s India trading partner Nuvama Wealth Management rose 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively, after a report that the U.S. trading firm has deposited $567 million in escrow accounts, allowing it to resume trading in India.
(Reporting by Vivek Kumar M; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Rashmi Aich)
