Stock Market Live: Sensex, Nifty open marginally higher; BEL, Tata Steel, Bajaj FinServ shares lead

India Volatility Index goes up by 3.2%.

India VIX is a market indicator that measures the expected volatility of the Nifty 50 index over the next 30 days. It is calculated based on the prices of out-of-the-money options traded on the NSE. A higher India VIX value generally indicates a higher perceived risk in the market.

Leading the gainers' list is Hero MotoCorp, with a nearly 3% uptick from its previous close. Following suit are Tata Steel (2.33%), Bharat Electronics (2.08%), IndusInd Bank (1.85%), and Hindalco Industries (1.85%).

Amongst the losers, Power Grid (-1.15%), NTPC Limited (-0.85%) and HDFC Bank (-0.59%) dragged the Nifty 50 pack down.

VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments, said that in the near-term, the market is in unchartered territory. "A clear direction will emerge on news surrounding the US-India trade deal happening after the next round of trade negotiations. A deal with a tariff of 20% or below will be positive from the market perspective. If this doesn’t happen, and the 25% tariff remains, the market is likely to drift down since it will impact India’s growth and corporate earnings making it difficult to justify the current elevated valuations."

From the global market perspective, indications are that a rate cut from the Fed in the September FOMC meeting is likely after the latest jobs report indicating declines in job additions in July and downward revisions in the jobs created in May and June. Clearly, the U.S. economy is slowing down and Fed is likely to respond  with a rate cut in September. With the inflationary impact of the tariffs kicking in, a stagflationnary scenario for the US cannot be ruled out. The market will respond to incoming data and evolving outlook, he said.

Indian share market opened tad higher on Monday, tracking mixed cues from Asian peers. The BSE Sensex gained 165 points to 80,765, and the NSE Nifty rose 62 points to 24,625.

This week, markets will closely track developments around the India-U.S. trade deal, as policymakers are expected to respond diplomatically ahead of the next scheduled discussions.

At the domestic level, all eyes will be on the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy meeting on August 8, where the central bank’s commentary on inflation, liquidity, and growth outlook will be keenly watched. A dovish tilt could offer support to rate-sensitive sectors.

On the earnings front, results from marquee companies including Bharti Airtel, DLF, Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Motors, SBI, and LIC of India will shape sectoral momentum.

Other important triggers include the release of the HSBC Services and Investors will also keep an eye on composite PMI, updates on monsoon progress, crude oil price movement, and further commentary from the U.S. on trade negotiations - all of which are likely to influence near-term volatility.

Share markets in Asia-Pacific region witnessed mixed trade today, with Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and Taiwan reeling under selling pressure, while other major regional indices were trading in the green zone.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was the worst performer in the region with a 1.7% loss due to stronger yen after Bank of Japan's recent decision to keep interest rates steady and U.S. economic jitters.

Taiwan’s Weighted Index, Australia’s ASX 200, and Indonesia’ Jakarta Composite declined between 0.8% to 0.2%.

On the other hand, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng traded flat, while China’s Shanghai Composite rose up to 0.15% in the opening trade. Among others, Singapore’s Straits Times and South Korea’s KOSPI gained around 0.8%.