While most global equity markets are rising 5-20% in 2023, India is flat

NEW DELHI: The Nifty, after a weak run in the last four months, bounced back in April with 4.1 per cent MoM gain, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said in a report.

Notably, the index was extremely volatile and swung around 776 points before closing 705 points higher. Nifty50 has been under-performing the emerging markets and the world indices in CY23YTD amid varied global macro headwinds viz., inflation, interest rates, and currency, the report said.

While most of the global equity markets are rising 5-20 per cent in CY23YTD, India is flat in local currency, the report said.

The Nifty Midcap 100 (+5.9 per cent MoM) and Nifty Smallcap 100 (+7.5 per cent) outperformed the Nifty50 during the month.

FIIs recorded inflows for the second consecutive month.

FIIs remained net buyers for the second straight month at $1.9 billion in Apr'23, after recording inflows of $1.8 billion in Mar'23; YTD outflows stood at $0.6 billion. DII inflows ebbed in Apr'23 at $0.3 billion, and stood at $10.4 billion YTD.

All major sectors end higher in Apr'23: Real Estate (+15 per cent), PSU Banks (+12 per cent), Automobiles (+8 per cent), Capital Goods (+7 per cent), and Telecom (+7 per cent) were the top gainers, while Technology (-3 per cent) was the only laggard, the report said.

India was among the top-performing markets in Apr'23.

Among the key global markets, Russia (+9 per cent), India (+4 per cent), the UK (+3 per cent), Japan (+3 per cent), Brazil (+3 per cent), Indonesia (+2 per cent), China (+2 per cent), the US (+1 per cent), and Korea (+1 per cent) closed higher in Apr'23, while Taiwan (-2 per cent), and MSCI EM (-1 per cent) ended lower in local currency terms.

Over the last 12 months, the MSCI India index (-1 per cent) has outperformed the MSCI EM index (-9 per cent). Over the last 10 years, the MSCI India index has outperformed the MSCI EM index by 167 per cent, the report said.

Corporate earnings so far have been in line with the performance of heavyweights, such as Reliance Industries, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and TCS, driving the aggregate.

The spread of earnings has been decent with 79 per cent of universe either meeting or exceeding profit expectations.

However, the growth is being led by BFSI, Technology, and O&G, while Metals, Healthcare, and Telecom recorded a YoY earnings decline for the quarter, the report said.