Indian shares are likely to open muted on Monday after posting their worst week since mid-March in the previous session due to election jitters and foreign selling pressure, while investors await domestic inflation data due later in the day.
The Gift Nifty was trading at 22,108.50 as of 8:20 a.m. IST, indicating that the Nifty 50 (.NSEI) will open near Friday's close of 22,055.20.
Incessant foreign selling and nervousness around the majority with which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to return to power in the world's largest democracy have kept investors jittery and triggered volatility (.NIFVIX) to rise to a 19-month high, last week.
Lacklustre fourth quarter results added to the nervousness, said Vikram Kasat, head of advisory at Prabhudas Lilladher.
In the week ending Friday, the benchmarks shed about 1.8% each and snapped two consecutive weeks of gaining. The results of the six-phase-long ongoing election are due on June 4.
Foreign investors net sold Indian shares worth 21.18 billion rupees ($253.56 million) on Friday, while domestic institutional investors net bought 27.10 billion rupees in stocks.
FPIs have been sellers in 23 of the last 28 sessions.
On the domestic front, investors are awaiting monthly inflation print due to be released by the central bank later in the day, which likely eased in April, a Reuters poll of 44 economists showed.
On the day, Asian peers outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) opened largely muted, setting a cautious start to a week when U.S. inflation figures and Chinese activity data will be in focus. The gauge had hit a 15-month high last week, a rally that its Indian counterparts largely ignored.
STOCKS TO WATCH:
Tata Motors (TAMO.NS): Indian automaker expects local demand for passenger vehicles to weaken in the first half of fiscal year 2025, dampened by ongoing national elections.
Eicher Motors (EICH.NS): Indian automaker reported a jump in fourth-quarter net profit and revenues.
Biocon (BION.NS): Drugmaker announces distribution and supply agreement with Mexico's Medix for weight management drug Liraglutide (gSaxenda).
($1 = 83.5310 Indian rupees)
