First Trade: Markets open in red, Sensex dips 46 points to 82,213; Nifty slips below 25,100

The Indian stock market opened on a cautious note on Friday, July 18, as investors tracked global developments and progress on a potential US-India trade deal.

The BSE Sensex opened at 82,213.49, slipping 45.75 points or 0.06 per cent, while the NSE Nifty50 was trading at 25,090.15, down 19.6 points from the previous close. Market breadth was slightly positive with 1,292 stocks advancing, 950 declining, and 150 remaining unchanged.

Meanwhile, the Indian rupee opened 7 paise stronger at Rs 86.01 per US dollar compared to Thursday’s close of Rs 86.08. The firm opening came amid optimism around a US-India interim trade agreement that could involve lower tariffs.

On the Nifty50, Jio Financial, Tata Steel, JSW Steel, L&T, and Dr Reddy's Labs were among the top gainers. On the flip side, Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and SBI Life Insurance led the losses.

Investors are also closely watching upcoming Q1 earnings for cues on market direction through the session.