Markets End Flat After Volatile Week; Friday Rally Helps Offset Heavy Losses
Week Starts With Sharp Sell-Off:
Indian equity markets began the truncated week on a bearish note, driven by global trade uncertainties and aggressive U.S. tariff announcements. On April 7, Sensex and Nifty plunged over 3%, wiping out ₹18 lakh crore in investor wealth. The sharp drop mirrored a global rout, with Asian markets falling as much as 15%, marking the worst single-day losses since March 2020.
Trump’s Tariff Pause Sparks Relief Rally:
Markets reversed course on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary three-month pause on reciprocal tariffs—except for China. This unexpected move lifted investor sentiment across global markets, easing fears of a full-blown trade war.
RBI Rate Cut Boosts Sentiment:
The Reserve Bank of India’s decision to cut interest rates and shift its policy stance to ‘accommodative’ added to the positive momentum. This domestic support helped cushion the blow from earlier losses.
Weekly Performance:
- BSE Sensex: Fell 207 points or 0.27% to 75,157
- NSE Nifty50: Down 76 points or 0.33% to 22,829
- BSE Market Cap: Stood at ₹401.67 lakh crore as of April 11
Friday’s Rally Recovers Weekly Losses:
The strong rally in the final session, fueled by easing tariff fears, helped the indices recover most of the week’s declines. While markets still ended slightly in the red, the overall sentiment improved considerably by week’s end.
