Stock Market Plunges: Sensex Falls Over 600 Points, Nifty 50 Drops Sharply

The Indian stock market opened sharply lower on Monday, with both the Sensex and Nifty 50 recording significant losses. Early trading saw the BSE Sensex fall over 600 points to around 82,900, while the NSE Nifty 50 dropped more than 175 points to about 25,519, triggering concern among investors.

Key Movers
Among the 30 Sensex stocks, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, and Sun Pharma witnessed the steepest declines, dropping between 1% and 3%.

• Reliance Industries shares slid 2.6% after the company reported a marginal 0.56% increase in consolidated net profit, totaling ₹18,645 crore for Q3.
• ICICI Bank shares fell nearly 3% as its Q3 consolidated net profit declined 4.02% year-on-year, missing market expectations.

Expert Insights
Dr. V. K. Vijaykumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, noted that global geopolitical and economic uncertainties are affecting market sentiment. He highlighted concerns over U.S. policies under President Trump, particularly potential tariffs and their impact on international trade and economic growth.

Potential Market Risks
Dr. Vijaykumar warned that if Trump implements a 10% tariff on eight European countries from February 1, increasing it to 25% from June 1, retaliatory measures from Europe are almost certain. This could spark a global trade war, negatively impacting markets worldwide. However, he also cautioned that past behavior suggests Trump may reconsider, creating further uncertainty for investors.

Investors should brace for continued volatility in the coming days as global events and corporate earnings reports continue to influence market trends.