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Stock market news: Early signal from the GIFT Nifty pointed to a weak start for Indian markets. As of 8:17 AM, GIFT Nifty was trading around 24,052.5, a discount of 182 points to the previous close of Nifty futures at 24,234.60.
In the previous session, the benchmark indices—the BSE Sensex and Nifty 50—extended losses for a second consecutive day, dragged lower by banking and financial stocks.
The Sensex declined 516 points (0.66%) to close at 77,328.19, while the Nifty 50 fell 151 points (0.62%) to settle at 24,176.15.
Dharmesh Shah of ICICI Securities recommends buying Godrej Properties Ltd and Schaffler Ltd. He suggests buying Godrej Properties in the range of ₹1,820-1,875 with a target of ₹2,088 and a stop loss of ₹1,718. For Schaffler, he advises buying in the range of ₹4,100-4,250 with a target of ₹4,738 and a stop loss of ₹3,928.
Dharmesh Shah notes that the Nifty 50 has consolidated while absorbing headwinds, holding above the 20-day EMA. He believes the current higher base formation positions the Nifty 50 to challenge the 24,900 milestone in May, with potential extension towards 25,500 if geopolitical conflicts de-escalate and crude oil prices decline further.
Raja Venkatraman recommends buying Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, Bharat Forge Ltd, and Timken India Ltd. Metropolis is recommended due to its diagnostics services and recent V-shaped recovery. Bharat Forge is favored for its strength in the defense sector and expected growth from truck demand. Timken India is recommended for its position as a manufacturer of engineered bearings, with steady price rises indicating a continuing long bias.
For Timken India Ltd, the key metrics include a P/E Ratio of 62.80, a 52-week high of ₹3,675, and a volume of 107.65K. The risk factors identified are regulatory hurdles, intense competition, and questions regarding the sustainability of its profitability.
MarketSmith India recommends buying eClerx Services Ltd, noting it reclaimed the 50 DMA with above-average volume. Key risk factors include heavy dependence on overseas clients, currency fluctuation risk, client concentration, potential slowdowns in US/Europe economies, high employee attrition, and rising competition in the IT/KPO sector.
Heavyweight lenders such as State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank were the key drags, with 18 of the 30 Sensex constituents ending in the red.
Broader markets, however, remained relatively resilient. The BSE Midcap index slipped marginally by 0.05%, while the BSE Smallcap index edged up 0.15%, continuing to outperform frontline indices.
Despite the pressure on benchmarks, the overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies held steady at around ₹473 lakh crore, supported by strength in mid- and small-cap stocks.
Despite geopolitical turbulence, equity benchmarks navigated a volatile week to finish on a positive note. The Nifty 50 settled at 24,176, gaining 0.70%. While the frontline index remained steady, the broader market stole the spotlight, with the Nifty Midcap index surging 3.5% to a fresh record high, while Smallcaps rallied over 4%. Sectorally, Auto, Defence, and Capital Markets emerged as the primary leaders, whereas PSU Banks and Oil & Gas saw relative underperformance. A key catalyst for this momentum was the decline in Brent Crude, which once again retreated after testing the $120 mark that had fueled momentum in the equities.
• The index started the week on a strong note, hitting a weekly high of 24,482. Profit booking emerged on Friday, triggered by the 80% retracement of the preceding decline (24,601–23,796). The weekly price action produced a bullish candle with a “higher high-low” pattern, suggesting the current dip is a healthy breather within an overall positive structure.
• Key point to highlight is that over the past three weeks, the Nifty 50 has consolidated while absorbing significant headwinds, including geopolitical tensions and oil price spikes. The index maintained its technical strength by holding above the 20-day EMA and retracing only 38% of its previous 11% rally, signalling a robust underlying structure.
• We believe, the current higher base formation has set the stage for Nifty 50 to challenge the 24,900 milestone in May. A sustained move above this, coupled with the de-escalation of geopolitical conflict and further declines in crude oil prices, could open the door to an extension toward 25,500 in the coming quarter.
• In the process, we expect volatility to remain elevated amid evolving geopolitical developments coupled with the ongoing earnings season. In such a volatile environment, buying the dips would be the prudent strategy to adopt as strong support is placed at 23,500, being 50% retracement of the last up move (22,182-24,601).
1. The current uptrend is reinforced by participation across all sectors and robust market breadth as currently 83% of the Nifty 500 components are trading above their 50 days SMA compared to last week’s reading of 72%. While for 200 days SMA similar reading has improved from 40 % to 52%. This collective strength, paired with better-than-expected earnings in key pockets, augurs well for durability of ongoing up move.
2. While Midcaps are already trading at record highs, the Nifty remains 8% below its previous peak. Furthermore, 18 months breakout on the Nifty 500 vs. Nifty 100 ratio chart suggests that the broader market is positioned to continue outperforming its large-cap peers.
3. Historically, the Nifty 50 shares a positive correlation with its global peers. The current buoyancy across US and Asian equities provides a strong external tailwind, creating a favourable setup for the domestic market to narrow the performance gap through a catch-up activity.
Dharmesh Shah of ICICI Securities recommends buying Godrej Properties Ltd, and Schaffler Ltd.
Buy Godrej properties in the range of ₹1,820-1,875. He has Godrej properties share price target of ₹2,088 with a stop loss of ₹1,718.
Buy Schaffler in the range of ₹4,100-4,250. He has Schaffler share price target of ₹4,738 with a stop loss of ₹3,928.
Disclaimer: The Research Analyst or his relatives or I-Sec do not have actual/beneficial ownership of 1% or more securities of the subject company, at the end of 08/05/2026 or have no other financial interest and do not have any material conflict of interest.
The views and recommendations provided in this analysis are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We strongly advise investors to consult with certified experts before making any investment decisions, as market conditions can change rapidly and individual circumstances may vary.
Dhanya Nagasundaram works as a Content Producer at LiveMint, specializing in news related to financial markets, stocks, and business. With over eight years of experience in journalism and content creation, she has honed her skills in data-driven reporting and market analysis. Her focus is on monitoring stock trends, initial public offerings (IPOs), corporate news, policy shifts, and larger economic trends that affect investors and market players. <br><br> At LiveMint, Dhanya consistently writes and produces articles that make complex financial topics accessible to readers. She keeps a close eye on equity markets, commodities, and macroeconomic indicators, assisting audiences in comprehending how global and domestic events influence investment perspectives. Her stories frequently underscore emerging trends within sectors, the IPO market, company earnings results, and market strategies pertinent to both retail and institutional investors. <br><br> Before her tenure at LiveMint, Dhanya accumulated a wealth of professional experience at various companies, including MintGenie, Informist, Cogenics, Chary Publications, KPMG, and the Royal Bank of Scotland. These positions allowed her to establish a solid foundation in financial research, reporting, and content creation. <br><br> Throughout her career, she has explored numerous subjects such as trading strategies, commodities, IPOs, wealth generation, corporate profits, and macroeconomic indicators. Her background in both financial journalism and corporate settings has given her the ability to tackle stories with analytical rigor while ensuring clarity for her audience. Through her contributions, Dhanya strives to deliver insightful, trustworthy, and investor-centric financial content.
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