The Indian share market had a volatile session on Friday as the Indian investors responded sharply to US President Donald Trump imposing a 25% tariff on Indian imports. The action, made official through an executive order, was a big step-up in the US-India trade face-off.
The Nifty 50 and Sensex opened with significant cuts, falling close to 1% before partially recouping but late-session selling pulled the indices back into negative territory and the Nifty 50 ended at 24,768.35, down by 86.70 points or 0.35%. Broader market sentiment remained poor, with all sectoral indices closing in the red.
FMCG The Only Bright Spot
Though overall weakness prevailed, the Nifty FMCG index added 1.3%. Defensive buying coupled with supporting comments from Hindustan Unilever saved the sector. During market stress, investors tend to shift to FMCG stocks owing to their stability and consistency of cash flows.
Trump’s Tariff Blow Strikes Sentiment
On Thursday, Donald Trump signed a comprehensive executive order levying retaliatory 25% tariffs on Indian products, with immediate effect. The move came after the Indian and US governments failed to reach an agreement over an ongoing trade agreement. Meanwhile, the US inked a trade agreement with Pakistan, which now has to pay a reduced 19% tariff. The differential treatment has provoked heightened anxiety in New Delhi and generated doubts about future trade ties.
Market Levels to Monitor
Sumeet Bagadia, Choice Broking’s Executive Director, pointed out important levels for the Nifty 50. In his view, 24,500 will serve as a pivotal support, while 24,950 is the resistance level. Bagadia added that if the Nifty remains above 24,500, the market could find temporary relief. Yet, breaking below this could lead to panic selling. On the higher side, the 24,900–24,950 level still sees selling pressure.
Intraday Stock Recommendations from Choice Broking
Even as the mood remained cautious, Bagadia gave five intraday stock tips for trading on Friday:
Alkyl Amines Chemicals – Buy at ₹2348, Target ₹2515, Stop Loss ₹2265
IXIGO – Buy at ₹233.78, Target ₹254, Stop Loss ₹223
Vimta Labs – Buy at ₹693.45, Target ₹742, Stop Loss ₹669
Belrise Industries – Buy at ₹138.13, Target ₹148, Stop Loss ₹133
Max India – Buy at ₹217.93, Target ₹234, Stop Loss ₹210
The broader takeaway remains clear: the Trump tariff announcement has intensified market volatility, and traders must tread carefully as global cues and geopolitical tensions evolve.
