Sensex, Nifty fall up to 0.7% on U.S. tariff fears; realty, pharma lead losses

Indian benchmark indices, Nifty 50 and Sensex, both fell up to 0.7% each in the first half of today’s trading session, after the United States issued a draft notice to impose additional tariffs of 25% on Indian goods from August 27, Wednesday.

At the time of reporting, Nifty was trading 162 points lower at 24,805, and Sensex was down 551 points at 81,084. Broader markets also showcased weak trends, while among sectoral indices, all except Nifty FMCG were trading in the red.

The major losers were Nifty Realty and Nifty Healthcare, slipping 1.7% and 1.33%, respectively. Even Nifty Pharma dipped by 1.28%. Nifty Auto fell 0.6% in the early hours but gained positive momentum and recovered by 30 bps.

The India VIX, the market volatility yardstick, rose 3.86 points to 12.21, reflecting investors’ heightened risk perception. Among Nifty’s top 50, the major laggards were Shriram Finance, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Tata Steel, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, and Coal India, declining up to 2.5%.

In Nifty Realty, Godrej Properties, Lodha, and DLF led losses by nearly 2% each. Nifty Pharma was trading at 22,082.55, lower by 280 points, with loss-making companies Zydus Lifesciences, Sun Pharmaceuticals, and Lupin dragging the sectoral index down by nearly 3%.

Nestle, Eicher Motors, and Hindustan Unilever topped the Nifty 50 gainers’ list, rising 1.64%, 1.46%, and 1.44%, respectively.