That Sinking Feeling: Stocks swoon as tariff reality hits investors hard
Indian equities were swamped by a wave of selling that swept riskier assets globally on Friday, tracking Wall Street's overnight slump-the worst since 2020-in response to US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff regime that has led to fears about a global downturn.
NSE Nifty fell 1.5%, or 345.65 points, to finish at 22,904.45. BSE Sensex dropped 1.2%, or 930.67 points, to 75,364.69. The slump wiped out ₹10 lakh crore in market value Friday.
US markets were down 4-5% at 23:50 IST Friday after China announced retaliatory tariffs and export curbs on critical materials. «The big selloff in the US has triggered a global risk-off sentiment,» said Mahesh Patil, CIO, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC. «The probability of US recession is adding to global growth concerns… bilateral negotiations could lead to easing of some of the tariffs in the coming weeks.»
‘More Short-term Turmoil Expected’ US Treasury yields dropped below 4% on Friday for the first time since October as fears of a recession sparked a rush to safety. Uncertainty over the impact of the US-China trade war sent oil prices tumbling. Brent crude futures were down 6.8% to $65.35 a barrel “The global markets are in a funk because of the sharp fall in the US markets, downgrades on economic forecasts and with China and the European Union expected to retaliate,” said Aashish Somaiyaa, CEO, WhiteOak Capital AMC.
In Asia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indonesia markets were shut. Japan dropped nearly 2.8%, Thailand plunged 3.6% and Vietnam declined 1.8%, while South