Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex dropped in opening trade on Friday as US-Iran war tensions and crude oil prices continued to weight on sentiment. While Nifty50 went below 23,100, BSE Sensex was down over 800 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 23,045.55, down 261 points or 1.12%. BSE Sensex was at 74,438.18, down 835 points or 1%.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The on and off reaction of the market to news and events regarding the war is likely to continue in the near-term. The spike in Brent crude back to around $108 level will again trigger another round of risk-off in the Indian market. The market correction since the war began has brought down Nifty valuations to fair levels. Nifty is now trading at about 19 times, which is lower than the last 10-year average of 22.4 times. But if India’s macros take a hit due to this energy crisis, valuations may again decline factoring-in the feared hit to earnings growth in FY27.”“The Indian economy is strong enough to absorb the shock if the war ends, crude cools down and gas availability becomes normal. But if the war prolongs, crude remains elevated for months together, and gas availability constraints continue, the stress on India’s macros will be significant and the market will discount that. In brief, everything boils down to how long the war will last. The market hope is that since a prolonged war is in nobody’s interests, it may end soon. The US itself is now looking for an exit strategy. Market corrections and rising retail price of petroleum products may exert pressure on the US regime to cool down the conflict.”Global cues remained weak. US markets declined sharply, with the Nasdaq Composite dropping more than 2% to enter correction territory, while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 1% each. Investors moved towards safer assets amid concerns over a potential escalation in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has driven oil prices higher and intensified inflation worries.The weakness in Wall Street spilled over to Asian markets, with traders remaining cautious even after Donald Trump once again extended the deadline for Iran to reach an agreement. Crude oil prices, however, edged lower.On the domestic front, foreign institutional investors were net sellers on Wednesday, offloading equities worth Rs 1,805.37 crore. In contrast, domestic institutional investors remained net buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 5,429.78 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

UBS has a neutral rating on Cipla with the target price cut to Rs 1,400, from Rs 1,750 earlier. Analysts said the company’s growth drivers are intact but supply headwinds weigh on near-term outlook. A healthy product pipeline to drive FY28 earnings for Cipla. However, there is a lack of near-term catalysts. They feel a healthy product pipeline to drive medium-term growth. They pointed out that there are near-term headwinds for Cipla with key product Lanreotide facing supply issues.Motilal Oswal Securities has initiated its coverage of Bajaj Finserv with a neutral rating and a target price of Rs 1,900. Analysts said in the lending business, the company provides the scale, profitability and about 11-crore customer base. The company remains the core value contributor, providing predictable earnings, strong return on equity (ROE) and sustained compounding.Jefferies has a buy rating on LG India with the target price at Rs 1,910. Analysts said that the initial summer trends were good. The company had a 7-9% price hikes in 3 & 5-star ACs in the Jan-March quarter (Q4FY26). Further hikes of 5-10% likely in April due to weak rupee, and higher raw material cost. While LPG shortage is a key industry risk, players are evaluating other fuel sources. LG India’s exports at 6% of sales, of which West Asia is a smaller part.Nomura has a buy rating on EClerx Services with the target price cut to Rs 2,200 from Rs 2,800. Analysts said that the company’s annual contract value was healthy and sales effectiveness was visible in deal wins and a robust pipeline. The company is aiming to reinvest margins while keeping the guidance band intact. The stock is trading at an attractive valuation of 14.6x FY28 earnings per share (EPS).CLSA has a high conviction outperform rating on Coforge with the target price at Rs 2,278. Analysts met the company’s CEO to discuss the latest AI narrative along with Coforge’s positioning. The CEO mentioned that AI is not going to be deflationary for service providers who have both domain and technical knowledge to build solutions around AI tools. Similar to hybrid cloud and SaaS managed services opportunities during the last decade, there will be a significant managed services opportunity around managing frontier models and orchestrating AI agents. The proof of pudding in case of Coforge would be visible in strong growth in NTM executable orderbook, revenue per employee and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margins. The analysts reiterated their rating on a mid-teens US dollar revenue growth.JP Morgan has an overweight rating on United Spirits with the target price at Rs 1,565. The company announced full divestiture of its stake in Royal Challengers Sports for Rs 16,660 crore (Rs 230/share). Adjusted for tax it would accrue Rs 195-200/share against. This follows a strategic review of the entity announced on November 5, 2025, as the company aims to focus more sharply on its core alcoholic beverage business. The transaction is expected to be completed within 6 months, subject to necessary approvals.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

A major Hindu festival, Ram Navami 2026 commemorates the birth anniversary of Lord Rama, the embodiment of purity and justice. Ram Navami was scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2026 while Ayodhya city is celebrating Ram Navami today, March 27, 2026. Devotees unite on this auspicious occasion to honor the teachings, ideals, and values of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, the much awaited Surya Tilak will also take place at 12 PM.

Ram Navami 2026: Date and Time