Vikas Khemani does not believe that FM choosing for a higher fiscal deficit target for FY26 will be seen as a major negative by markets, if the measures taken point towards economic growth revival.
The Nifty 50 continues to underperform its global counterparts, which adds to the overall negative sentiment. This clearly indicates bearish momentum in the index, said Sudeep Shah.
According to Rishabh Nahar, the equity markets could continue to experience extreme volatility following the budget.
Overall, the commitment to the fiscal consolidation path supports more favourable borrowing conditions for corporates, said HDFC AMC's Rakesh Sethia.
To sustain growth and investor confidence, the government should maintain fiscal discipline by achieving the FY26 fiscal deficit target of 4.5% of GDP, prioritize a 10-15% capex increases for economic and infrastructure growth, and set a clear long-term debt-to-GDP target, said Manish Goel.
According to Ashwini Shami, the midcap and smallcap segments are trading at significantly higher levels than their respective 5-year averages.
The Indian equity market presents a mix of opportunities and challenges in CY25, said Jiten Doshi of Enam AMC.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see dovish policy actions from the RBI in the coming year, said Marcellus' Arindam Mandal.
Unmesh Kulkarni of Julius Baer India continues to remain constructive on the Indian equity markets, driven by the earnings cycle and strong domestic liquidity, coupled with likely comeback of FPI flows.
On the Nifty 50, traders should remain cautious as the persistent gap openings and indecisiveness on the charts highlight the possibility of continued volatility, Sudeep Shah of SBI Securities advised.
According to Anirudh Garg of Invasset PMS, a well-balanced Budget aligned with India's growth vision could significantly boost market sentiment and long-term growth prospects.
In 2025, sectors such as agriculture technology, specialised manufacturing, and affordable housing may offer contrarian opportunities, said Equirus Wealth's Abhijit Bhave.
Ajay Khandelwal of Motilal Oswal MF believes the year 2025 will end with a positive return irrespective of interim turbulence.
According to Anuj Kapoor of JM Financial, the anticipated consumption revival due to income growth could be a key driver for economic growth in 2025.
On Chaudhary's budget wish list are an amended law governing special economic zones and a focus on the renewable manufacturing sector.
A 10-15% increase in telecom tariffs during the year could push the average revenue per user (ARPU) beyond Rs 300, up from the current industry average of around Rs 200-250, Whitespace Alpha's Puneet Sharma said.
A weak Budget parallel to the 2024 July budget could shock the markets, said Divam Sharma.
Sudeep Shah believes the prior swing low zone of 23,260-23,200 will act as crucial support for the Nifty 50. If the index slips below the level of 23,200, then we may witness further correction in the index upto the 22,800 level
According to Jitendra Sriram of Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund, the Budget may be little bit of a non-event given the shorter time gap between the post electoral final budget of 2024 and the Budget scheduled for February 2025. Already the policy thrust areas are known, he said.
Earnings for Q3 FY25 are expected to show growth supported by tailwinds. The festive season, higher government spending, recovering consumer demand, and the wedding season all contribute to an optimistic outlook for the quarter, said Anil Rego.
BFSI sector is well poised to take benefits of economic cycle, given the cheap valuations of the sector, Shridatta Bhandwaldar said.
Market seems to be going into the Budget with low expectations thereby any chance of a negative surprise is moderate, Niraj Kumar of Future Generali India Life Insurance Company said.
For Q3FY25, Sachin Bajaj believes capital goods, pharma, retail, PSU banks, non-lending financials, real estate and consumer durables are expected to deliver strong profit growth.
Kapoor also said that the company has revamped its accounting system, and had the new regime been applied, the losses of previous years would have actually been bumper profits.
Raghvendra Nath expects to see continued investment in infrastructure, with a stronger focus on areas like housing, electricity, and employment generation, rather than significant tax cuts or major incentives in the budget.