The BSE Sensex fell 277 points, or 0.3%, to 84,861 in Wednesday morning trade, down for the fourth consecutive session as traders turned cautious ahead of the RBI’s interest rate decision on Friday. Market forecasts suggest the central bank is expected to cut interest rates by 25 bps amid easing inflation. Investors also awaited the US PCE inflation data, which is expected to guide the Fed’s monetary policy decision next week. Ongoing foreign capital outflows and uncertainty over the US–India trade deal also weighed on market sentiment. However, an upbeat session on Wall Street overnight helped cap losses amid growing bets on Fed rate cuts, with markets pricing in an 89% chance of reductions. On the data front, India’s private sector PMI was slightly revised lower, marking the weakest reading in six months. Auto, banking, and metal stocks mainly dragged the index, with Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, and Reliance Industries each falling 1.3%, while ICICI Bank dropped 1.2%.
