The Indian stock markets opened the week on a flat note on Monday, as investors remained cautious amid continuous foreign fund outflows and concerns over high valuations.
At the opening bell, the Nifty 50 index rose 22.30 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 24,916.55, while the BSE Sensex gained 67.62 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 81,274.79.
Markets have been underperforming for the past 13 months due to external pressures, including tariffs, foreign institutional investor (FII) selling, and high valuations, which have fueled persistent selling.
Ajay Bagga, banking and market expert, told ANI that despite a minor recovery last week, the Indian markets have endured over a year of negative returns from all-time highs hit in September 2024. “FPI selling continued in September, and another weak earnings quarter for Q2 2026 could keep sentiments subdued,” he said. Bagga added that the earnings season, set to begin on October 9, will be the main focus for investors.
He noted that a trade deal with the US seems distant, while free trade agreements with the EU and UK are progressing slowly, offering limited relief in the near term.
In the broader market indices on the NSE, the Nifty 100 was up 0.09 per cent, Nifty Midcap 100 gained 0.10 per cent, and Nifty Smallcap 100 rose 0.29 per cent. Sectoral indices showed mixed trends, with Nifty FMCG, Media, Pharma, and Oil & Gas trading in the red, while other sectors recorded marginal gains.
Meanwhile, LG Electronics India Ltd opened its IPO pre-application process, with a price band of Rs 1,080–1,140 per share and an issue size of Rs 11,607 crore. The IPO will be open from October 7 to 9, 2025, with 50 per cent reserved for Qualified Institutional Buyers, 35 per cent for retail investors, and 15 per cent for Non-Institutional Investors. The offer is a complete sale, and net proceeds will go to selling shareholders.
Globally, US President Donald Trump announced that Hamas has agreed to his peace formula to demilitarise and release Israeli hostages, though markets reacted minimally due to the limited scale of the conflict. In Japan, the election of Sanae Takaichi, the first female prime minister candidate and a monetary and fiscal dove, lifted investor sentiment, with the Nikkei 225 surging over 4.6 per cent. Other Asian markets showed mixed trends, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng down 0.8 per cent and Singapore’s Straits Times up marginally by 0.08 per cent.
Sunil Gurjar, SEBI-registered analyst and founder of Alphamojo Financial Services, said the Nifty 50 has been consolidating within a defined range for three months. “A decisive breakout above 25,500 would signal strong upside momentum. Technically, the index remains bullish long-term, trading above the 200-Day Exponential Moving Average at 24,400, a strong support level,” he noted.
-ANI