The BSE Sensex dropped 323 points, or 0.4%, to 82,178 in morning trade on Monday, halting gains from the previous two sessions as renewed US-China trade tensions rattled investor sentiment. On Friday, President Trump responded to Beijing’s latest export controls by announcing additional 100% tariffs on US-bound Chinese exports. Most sectors traded in the red, led by technology, oil & gas, banking, and financial stocks. The Nifty 50 also fell 0.4%, while small-caps and mid-caps declined by 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively. Investors are now awaiting September inflation data, with market expectations pointing to a drop to 1.7%—below the lower end of the RBI’s 2–6% target range—which has raised hopes for potential interest rate cuts at the upcoming central bank meeting. Among the biggest laggards were Infosys (-1.1%) and Tata Motors (-1.0%), while JSW Steel, Tata Steel, and Reliance Industries each fell 0.8%. HCL Tech also declined 0.9%, ahead of its quarterly earnings report due later today.
