Sensex Slips Over 135 Points at Open; Nifty Steady Above 23,000

New Delhi : Indian equity markets opened on a weak note on Friday, April 4, 2025, tracking a sharp sell-off in global equities and cautious investor sentiment. The BSE Sensex dropped 135.27 points to begin the session at 76,160.09, while the broader Nifty 50 slipped 59.7 points to open at 23,190.40. The subdued start follows Thursday’s close, where the Sensex ended at 76,295.36 and the Nifty 50 at 23,250.10.

The negative cues came amid rising concerns over global economic uncertainties, including weak data from the U.S. and renewed fears of prolonged high interest rates by major central banks. Asian markets were also mostly in the red, mirroring overnight losses on Wall Street.

In line with this sentiment, Gift Nifty—often considered an early indicator of the Nifty 50’s performance—also signaled a bearish start. It opened lower at 23,069, compared to its previous close of 23,240.50, reinforcing expectations of a tepid market opening.

Among the Sensex pack, Tata Motors led the list of losers, slipping over 2.55% in early trade. Other notable laggards included Infosys, IndusInd Bank, Larsen & Toubro, and HCL Technologies, all facing selling pressure in the initial minutes of trading. The IT and auto sectors appeared particularly vulnerable as global headwinds weighed on sentiment.

On the brighter side, select financial and telecom stocks helped cushion the fall. HDFC Bank emerged as the top gainer, rising 1.31% at the time of writing. Bajaj Finance, Bharti Airtel, and Mahindra & Mahindra also traded in the green, offering some support to the benchmark indices.

Market breadth on the NSE remained weak, with 625 stocks advancing, 1,580 declining, and 73 stocks remaining unchanged. The overall sentiment continued to reflect investor caution amid volatile global market trends.

Sectorally, Nifty Auto and Nifty IT were among the worst performers, while Nifty Bank showed relative resilience due to gains in key private lenders.

Analysts suggest that markets may remain range-bound with a negative bias unless global cues stabilize. Investors will be closely watching developments around U.S. economic indicators, bond yields, and upcoming quarterly earnings for further direction.