US Fed guidance roils stock markets

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled 581 points on Thursday, in tandem with a global selloff after the US Federal Reserve signalled policy tightening from March. A depreciating rupee and persistent foreign fund outflows further weighed on sentiment, traders said.

The 30-share BSE index ended 581.21 points or 1.00 per cent lower at 57,276.94. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty plunged 167.80 points or 0.97 per cent to 17,110.15.

"As the Fed left key interest rates near zero, its hawkish commentary quickly washed away gains in global markets, leading to a gap down opening in indices back home. As FPIs continued to book profits from Indian equities, value stocks made a comeback with the PSU Bank Index rallying over five per cent in afternoon trade today, well supported by auto stocks to stage a smart recovery. As IT and pharma stocks witnessed profit taking, textile stocks were sought after in the broader market on the back of earnings," said S Ranganathan, head (research) at LKP Securities.

Ajit Mishra, V-P (research), Religare Broking Ltd, said: "Excessive volatility on the global front is keeping domestic markets on the edge. With the US FOMC meet behind us, we expect some stability now. However, the prevailing earnings season and upcoming Union Budget would keep the participants on their toes. The recent buoyancy in the banking space is certainly encouraging, but the other sectors should also support for any meaningful recovery. We feel it's prudent to stay light and let the markets stabilize."

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in the capital markets, pulling out Rs 7,094.48 crore on Tuesday, as per provisional data.

HCL Tech was the top loser in the Sensex pack, skidding 4.17 per cent, followed by Tech Mahindra, Dr Reddy's, Wipro, TCS, Titan and Infosys. On the other hand, Axis Bank, SBI, Maruti, Kotak Bank, Sun Pharma and IndusInd Bank were among the gainers, climbing as much as 2.81 per cent. The Federal Reserve left policy rates unchanged on Wednesday, but chairman Jerome Powell said the US central bank is likely to raise interest rates in March and end its massive bond buying program to combat surging inflation.