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Closing Bell: Nifty around 19,300, Sensex falls 202 pts; power stocks gain

The BSE midcap and smallcap indices ended on a negative note.

August 18, 2023 / 16:36 IST
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August 18, 2023 / 16:26 IST

Amol Athawale, Vice President - Technical Research, Kotak Securities

World equity markets, including India, are under the grip of a sharp rise in US bond yields which has led to currency depreciation in China and other emerging markets. This has prompted investors to park their funds in safe haven dollar securities by exiting risky equity assets. The consolidation phase in local markets could continue for some more time as worries over further interest rate hikes in the US and other key economies coupled with higher inflation and slowing growth in China would curb appetite for equity as an asset class in the near term. A sharp fall in tech-heavy Nasdaq triggered a sell-off in domestic IT stocks, while other sectors too came under selling pressure due to weak global cues.

Technically, on daily and intraday charts, the Nifty is holding a lower top formation and on weekly charts it has formed a small bearish candle, which is largely negative. However, on the lower side it is consistently taking support near the 50-day SMA or 19250/64750 (Simple Moving Average). A fresh sell off could be seen only after the dismissal of the 50 day SMA or 19250 level, below which the index could slip till 19200-19100. On the flip side, 19400 would act as a key resistance level for the bulls and above the same, the index could rise till 19450-19500. In the case of Bank Nifty, weak sentiment is likely to continue till the time the index is trading below 44100. Below which, it could slip till 43500 – 43200. On the flip side, above 44100 it could move up till 44400-44600.

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August 18, 2023 / 16:24 IST

Rupak De, Senior Technical analyst at LKP Securities:

The index has consistently remained below its 21-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), a sign that underscores the prevalence of a bearish trend. On the lower end, support is placed at 19250. A fall below 19250, may trigger a correction towards 19000 and lower. On the higher end, resistance was placed at 19500.

August 18, 2023 / 16:19 IST

Jatin Gedia – Technical Research Analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas:

The Nifty witnessed yet another weak day of trade. It closed in the negative down ~55 points. On the daily charts, we can observe that the Nifty has closed decisively below the 40-day moving average (19358) which is a sign of weakness. Because of the fall in the last couple of trading sessions, the Nifty has also closed in the negative for the fourth consecutive week and the weekly momentum indicator has also triggered a negative crossover which indicates that weakness is setting in on a higher time frame. The lower top lower-bottom formation is still intact and hence the downtrend is intact. On the downside we expect the Nifty to target levels of 19100.

Bank Nifty has continued with its losing streak and closed in the negative for the seventh consecutive trading session. It has reached the 20-week moving average (43800) and hence the fall may not be severe from current levels. The trend is still negative however, oversold and we can observe divergence on the hourly charts however it needs to be confirmed by the price. Until the Bank Nifty trades below 44000, we can expect the weakness to continue. On the downside, it can slip towards 43500.

August 18, 2023 / 16:16 IST

Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research (Retail), Kotak Securities



Sensex and Nifty declined this week following the weakness in most global equity markets. BSE Mid-cap and BSE Small-cap indices saw some correction. Sectorally, most of the indices posted negative returns. Amongst them, the sectoral indices that underperformed the broader markets includes BSE Metals, BSE Energy and BSE Oil & Gas.

Weak monsoon conditions has prevailed over most parts of India resulting into deficient monsoon in August. India’s CPI inflation in July 2023 surged to 7.4% (from 4.8% in June 2023), led by high vegetable prices. Brent crude oil price corrected this week, but remains above the price range witnessed a few months back. Q1FY24 results showed weakness in consumption demand; however, investment demand continues to be strong. Further, Q1FY24 results also showed further improvement in profitability.

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August 18, 2023 / 16:12 IST

Ajit Mishra, SVP - Technical Research, Religare Broking



It turned out to be a roller coaster ride on Friday as Nifty oscillated on both sides and ended lower. Meanwhile, the majority of sectors felt the heat wherein IT, realty and pharma were among the top losers. The broader indices too traded in sync and lost nearly half a percent each.

Fresh weakness in the US markets is largely weighing on the sentiment however the pace of decline is still capped. Though we are seeing resilience in select pockets, we feel it is prudent to book some profits off the table and maintain a few shorts also. On the index front, Nifty would face first hurdle around 20 EMA, which currently lies around 19500 levels. And, we are eyeing 19,100 levels to act as the next crucial support.

August 18, 2023 / 15:51 IST

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services:

Concerns regarding inflation and shifts in investor preferences towards safer assets dampened overall market sentiment for domestic equities. Fears of a Fed rate hike, coupled with a decline in global equities, exerted additional downward pressure, specifically on IT stocks. Higher US bond yields and default risk in China are poised to prompt FIIs to adopt a more prudent stance when considering investments in emerging markets.

August 18, 2023 / 15:45 IST

Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities:

Indian rupee recovered slightly from its record closing low on Thursday supported by lower US treasury yields and the greenback against Asian currencies. The local unit has marked a fourth week of losses in five amid broad dollar strength and risk-averse sentiments. However, the local unit remained the median performer among Asian currencies as RBI has been likely intervening in the market along with corporate dollar inflows. In the near term, RBI may try to protect the level of 83.30 but the direction remains upwards for USDINR as long as it holds 82.70.

August 18, 2023 / 15:41 IST

S Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP securities:

Benchmark Indices ended in the red today on the back of profit taking seen in IT stocks as well as PSU stocks. The 6% deficiency in the Monsoon was an important factor with several states witnessing deficits across districts. The Evergrande Bankruptcy in China though was brushed away since real estate loans in India are by and large regulated well in India now.

August 18, 2023 / 15:34 IST

Rupee Close:

Indian rupee ended marginally higher at 83.10 per dollar versus previous close of 83.15.

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