FX.co ★ Sensex Finishes on Lower Note

India's BSE Sensex declined approximately 0.6%, closing at 83,314 on Thursday. This downturn followed some moderate gains earlier in the week, mainly attributed to profit-taking activities. The market sentiments also reflected a sense of caution due to the mixed earnings results and the recent global decline in tech stocks. However, this was partly balanced by a positive outlook on India-US trade relations. Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the initial phase of the India-US bilateral trade agreement is nearly finalized, with a joint statement anticipated within four to five days and a formal agreement expected by mid-March. Among the top decliners were Eternal, Bharti Airtel, Bharat Electronics, ITC, ICICI Bank, Reliance, and Infosys, all dropping up to 2.5%. Conversely, Trent, Tata Steel, State Bank of India, and Bajaj Finance outperformed the broader market, with gains reaching up to 3%.