Nifty 50, Sensex Trade Flat Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions

Two days of advances have ended in red today for Indian benchmark indices Nifty 50 and Sensex. The stock market had a choppy session today and ended lower amid the rising geopolitical tensions with Pakistan. Investor sentiment is low and investors are on the sidelines. The rising volatility led to a 0.057% drop in Sensex to close at 80,242 while Nifty was down 0.0072% to 24,334.20. The market remains closed tomorrow. 

The volatility index was also up 5% to 18.22. Overall, the market performed well in April and the volatility was mainly driven by tariff concerns, US-India trade concerns, and foreign investment inflows. The rising tension between India and Pakistan has capped the momentum. The volatility is expected to continue in the near term. 

Out of the Nifty 50, only 15 stocks ended in green while 35 ended the day in red. Out of the 15, the top performers include HDFC Life Insurance, SBI Life Insurance, and Maruti Suzuki. These stocks gained about 4% today while the biggest losers were Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, State Bank of India, and Tata Motors, they lost 3-6% each.

The sectors were mixed with banking and energy moving lower while the pharmaceutical sector showed resilience. These stocks made the biggest moves today.

HDFC Life Insurance

Driven by strong quarterly results, HDFC Life Insurance Company hit a six-month high today. The stock ended the day at Rs.745, up 4.19% today. Overall, the stock is up 20% year-to-date and 27% in 12 months.

It is trading at the highest level since October 2024 and is moving closer to the 52-week high of Rs. 761. A prominent player in the insurance sector, HDFC life insurance has remained resilient during market volatility. 

For the fourth quarter, the company saw a 15% year-over-year growth in the net profit to Rs.475 crore and the net premium income soared 16% year-over-year to Rs.23,766 crore. Its market share in the industry expanded to 15.7% in the private sector. Analysts are optimistic about the future of the company and have a price target of Rs.850 per share. 

SBI Life Insurance

Another insurance company that surged significantly after the quarterly results, SBI Life Insurance shares are up 1.80% today and 9.23% in the past five days. Trading for Rs.1,761, the shares have soared 25.77% year-to-date and 22% in 12 months. 

The net profit for the recent quarter saw a 0.3% year-over-year jump to Rs.813.5 crore and the renewal premium increased to Rs.14,680 crore, up 12% year-over-year.

Jefferies India believes that the net profit was below estimates due to the rising operating expenses and expects the gains from easing interest rates to drive a rebound in earnings. The analyst has a hold rating for the stock. Bernstein has an Outperform rating with a price target of Rs.2,040. 

Maruti Suzuki

Up 3.18% today, Maruti Suzuki shares at trading for Rs.12,218. The shares are up 9% year-to-date and 6.42% in the past month. India’s biggest manufacturer of passenger cars reported quarterly numbers recently. 

It saw a 1% drop in profit to Rs. 3,911 crore while the total revenue was up 6.4% year-over-year to Rs.40,920 crore. It fell slightly short of market expectations. The management announced a dividend of Rs.135 per share, the highest in the history of the company.

The company saw a domestic growth of 3% this year and is aiming to increase exports by 20% in FY26. Analysts have a bullish view of the stock and a buy rating, expecting a 16% upside from the current levels. 

 

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