New Delhi: The intensity of foreign portfolio investor (FPI) selling in the Indian markets slowed down significantly in October, analysts said on Sunday.

The shift in the FPI trading strategy is significant and it stems from two factors.

One, the valuation differentials between India and other markets, which were high earlier, had come down significantly in recent weeks following the rally in other markets and consolidation in the Indian market.

“Two, the growth and earnings prospects for India have been revised upward by market experts. The GST cuts and the low interest regime are expected to boost India Inc’s earnings in FY27, which the market will soon start discounting,” said Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Ltd.

Foreign investors turned buyers in the cash market on the last four trading sessions of the week ended on October 10.

The cash market buy figure during the last four trading sessions stands at Rs 3,289 crore.

The global market sentiment has again turned negative with the reignite of the US-China trade war, following US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 100 per cent tariff on imports from China and restricting many critical US exports to China.

The FPI flows, going forward, will depend on how this renewed trade war pans out in the coming days, said analysts.

Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said Nifty50 edged higher by 104 points to close at 25,285 last Friday, amid improving global sentiment, supported by easing geopolitical tensions as Israel and Hamas agreed on the first stage of a ceasefire plan, along with signs of progress in a potential India–US trade deal.

“Renewed FPI buying also boosted sentiment. Additionally, India and the UK announced multiple collaborations across sectors including education, critical minerals, climate change, and defence,” he mentioned.

With the valuation differential coming down and Indian earnings likely to improve in FY27, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) are likely to slow down selling going forward.

Sustained FPI selling continued in September with the sell figure through exchanges touching Rs 27,163 crore. However, in keeping with the long-term trend of buying through the primary market, they bought equity for Rs 3,278 crore in September.

On the macro front, investors will closely track India’s retail inflation print for September, to be released on Monday.

 

Stock market: Dalal Street witnessed strong momentum last week as the combined market capitalisation of eight of India’s top 10 most-valued companies rose by Rs 1.94 lakh crore, reflecting renewed investor optimism.Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) emerged as the biggest gainer, while Hindustan Unilever and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) saw declines in their valuations, PTI reported.The benchmark BSE Sensex rose 1,293.65 points, or 1.59%, last week, mirroring the overall positive momentum in equities.Among the top gainers, TCS’s market value surged by Rs 45,678.35 crore to Rs 10,95,701.62 crore, making it the biggest contributor to the weekly rally. Infosys followed with an increase of Rs 28,125.29 crore to Rs 6,29,080.22 crore, while HDFC Bank’s valuation climbed Rs 25,135.62 crore to Rs 15,07,025.19 crore.Bharti Airtel added Rs 25,089.27 crore to reach Rs 11,05,980.35 crore, and Reliance Industries gained Rs 25,035.08 crore, taking its market capitalisation to Rs 18,70,120.06 crore, maintaining its position as India’s most valuable company.Bajaj Finance rose by Rs 21,187.56 crore to Rs 6,36,995.74 crore, State Bank of India advanced by Rs 12,645.94 crore to Rs 8,12,986.64 crore, and ICICI Bank saw an increase of Rs 11,251.62 crore to Rs 9,86,367.47 crore.In contrast, mcap of LIC fell by Rs 4,648.88 crore to Rs 5,67,858.29 crore, and Hindustan Unilever’s declined by Rs 3,571.37 crore to Rs 5,94,235.13 crore.Reliance Industries retained the top spot among India’s most-valued firms, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, TCS, ICICI Bank, SBI, Bajaj Finance, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever, and LIC.

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan has underscored the government’s commitment to improving Pakistan’s agricultural exports through value addition, innovation and quality enhancement, particularly in the citrus sector.

The minister stated that citrus, especially Kinnow, holds a significant place in Pakistan’s export portfolio and regaining its competitive position in global markets is a key priority for the Ministry of Commerce, said a press release issued on Saturday.

“Our focus is on strengthening the entire value chain – from farms to foreign markets — by promoting modern agricultural practices, ensuring compliance with international standards and improving logistics infrastructure,” he said.

He was speaking in reference to the recent participation of the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) in the Agri Expo Sargodha (October 7-8), where PHDEC organised a technical workshop titled “Enhancing Citrus Quality and Export Competitiveness: Pest and Disease Control Measures, Harvest and Post-Harvest Management and Effective Logistics Solutions.”

The workshop attracted a large number of citrus growers, exporters and researchers. Experts from the Citrus Research Institute (CRI), Sargodha, shared detailed guidance on pest and disease control, harvest techniques and post-harvest management aimed at improving fruit quality and reducing export losses.

PHDEC also distributed Urdu-language citrus booklets to help farmers adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and modern orchard management techniques.