Market Pulse
Stay informed with weekly market updates, curated insights, and expert commentary — all viewed through the lens of a disciplined SIP investor.
Weekly Market Commentary
Expert analysis of market movements with SIP-specific takeaways.
Markets Rebound on Metal, Power & Banking Strength; Geopolitical Tensions Absorbed
Indian equity markets ended the week on a positive note despite intra-week volatility triggered by rising US-Iran geopolitical tensions. The Sensex closed at 82,815, up 0.38% on Friday, while Nifty 50 settled at 25,571, gaining 0.46%. Metal, power, and banking stocks led the recovery. Bank Nifty closed at 61,172 after staging a strong rebound from intra-week lows. Gold surged past Rs 1.59 lakh per 10 grams on safe-haven demand. The rupee weakened further to Rs 90.73 against the US dollar.
Key Points This Week
- 1Sensex closed at 82,815, up 316 points (+0.38%) on Friday. Nifty 50 gained 117 points (+0.46%) to settle at 25,571. Markets recovered well after geopolitical jitters earlier in the week.
- 2Bank Nifty closed at 61,172, rebounding sharply after opening 112 points lower. Banking sector formed a bullish candle, signalling strong recovery momentum with support at 60,950.
- 3Gold prices surged to Rs 1,59,430 per 10 grams (24K), rallying for the fourth consecutive session — up nearly Rs 500 per gram from recent lows. MCX April futures crossed Rs 1.59 lakh driven by global uncertainty and central bank buying.
- 4USD/INR crossed Rs 90.73 as the rupee continued its weakening trend. The currency has depreciated significantly from Rs 83 levels seen a year ago, impacting import costs but benefiting IT exporters.
- 5Nifty Midcap 150 traded near its 52-week high zone around 22,094. Midcap space showed resilience with selective stock-picking opportunities emerging in quality names.
- 6Top gainers included NTPC (+2.70%), L&T (+2.33%), and HUL (+1.71%), while IT names like Infosys (-1.28%) and Tech Mahindra (-1.03%) dragged.
SIP Investor Advice
Markets absorbing geopolitical tensions and still closing positive is a sign of underlying strength. Your SIP continues to buy units at current levels. The rupee depreciation actually benefits equity markets long-term through export competitiveness. Gold at all-time highs reminds us why equity SIP remains the best wealth creator over 10+ year horizons. Continue your SIPs without interruption.
Previous Commentaries
Market Insights
Curated insights on market trends, SIP strategy, and investor education to help you make informed decisions.
Gold at Rs 1.59 Lakh — What It Means for SIP Investors
Gold has surged to Rs 1,59,430 per 10 grams in February 2026, driven by global uncertainty, central bank buying (PBoC has been buying for 15 consecutive months), and safe-haven demand. While gold is a...
Why SIP Timing Does Not Matter
One of the most liberating aspects of SIP investing is that the exact date you start barely impacts your long-term returns. Studies on Nifty 50 data from 2000 to 2025 show that a SIP started on the 1s...
Rupee at Rs 90.73 — Impact on Your SIP Portfolio
The Indian rupee has crossed Rs 90 against the US dollar, a significant depreciation from Rs 83 levels a year ago. For SIP investors, this has mixed implications. IT and pharma exporters benefit from ...
Understanding Market Cycles: Why They Are Your SIP's Best Friend
Indian equity markets have historically moved in cycles of 4-7 years, alternating between bull and bear phases. Since the Sensex inception, there have been about 8 major cycles. The key insight for SI...
FII vs DII Flows: The Power Shift in Indian Markets
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) are the two largest forces in Indian markets. While FIIs have been periodic sellers, DII strength — driven by monthly...
How RBI Policy Impacts Your Mutual Funds
The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy decisions have a direct impact on both equity and debt mutual funds. When the RBI cuts the repo rate (currently at 6.25%), debt fund NAVs tend to rise, whil...
Sectoral Rotation and Your SIP: Should You Chase Trends?
Every few months, a new sector takes the lead in market performance. In 2024, it was defence and PSU stocks. In early 2025, banking recovered. Recently, metal and power stocks have been leading. Chasi...
Index Funds vs Active Funds: The Great SIP Debate
The debate between index funds and actively managed funds for SIP has intensified. Data shows that in large-cap space, over 70% of active funds failed to beat the Nifty 50 index over 5 years, making i...
SIP on Market Crash Days: What Actually Happens
When markets crash 5-10% in a week, SIP investors panic. But here is what the data shows: if you had a running SIP during the March 2020 crash (Nifty fell 38%), your SIP date in March bought units at ...
Equity SIP as an Inflation Hedge: The Long-Term Evidence
Over the past 20 years, Indian consumer inflation has averaged about 5.5% annually. During the same period, equity SIPs in diversified funds have delivered 12-15% CAGR, creating real (inflation-adjust...
Tax Harvesting with SIP: A Strategy Most Investors Miss
Long-term capital gains (LTCG) from equity mutual funds above Rs 1.25 lakh per year are taxed at 12.5%. Smart SIP investors use tax-loss harvesting to minimize this. The strategy involves redeeming un...
When Should You Start or Stop Your SIP?
Evidence-based answers to the most common SIP timing questions. Spoiler: time in the market beats timing the market.
Best Day to Start SIP? Today.
Analysis of 25 years of Nifty 50 data reveals that the difference between the best and worst SIP start date in any given month is negligible over a 10-year horizon. A SIP started on January 1, 2005 vs February 15, 2005 would yield nearly identical results by 2015. The cost of waiting for the "perfect" time is far greater than the cost of starting at a "wrong" time. Every day you delay, you lose out on potential compounding. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time is now.
Start your SIP today regardless of market levels
Market Highs and SIP: Should You Stop?
When the Sensex hit 21,000 in 2008, people said the market was too high. When it crossed 40,000 in 2019, the same fears surfaced. At 60,000 in 2023 and 82,800 in 2026, the story repeats. Here is the truth: if you had stopped your SIP at every all-time high, you would have missed the subsequent rallies that took the market even higher. Markets are designed to go up over the long term due to economic growth and corporate earnings expansion. Stopping SIP at market highs is a behavioral mistake driven by recency bias.
Never stop SIP based on market highs
Rupee Cost Averaging in Action
Rupee Cost Averaging (RCA) is the core mechanism that makes SIP powerful. When you invest a fixed amount monthly, you automatically buy more units when prices are low and fewer units when prices are high. Over time, this brings down your average cost per unit below the simple average of all NAVs during the period. In volatile markets, RCA works even better because the spread between highs and lows is larger, giving you more units at discounted prices. A 10-year SIP in a fund with 20% annual volatility benefits more from RCA than one with 10% volatility.
Embrace volatility as your SIP ally
Monthly vs Weekly vs Daily SIP
With AMCs now offering daily and weekly SIP options alongside monthly, investors wonder which frequency is best. Back-tested data on Nifty 50 from 2005 to 2025 shows that daily SIP gives a marginal 0.1-0.2% annual return advantage over monthly SIP, while weekly SIP falls in between. The difference is so small that it is practically insignificant for most investors. Monthly SIP is simpler to track, easier on cash flow planning, and generates fewer tax lots. Choose the frequency that aligns with your salary cycle. Monthly SIP on salary credit day is the most practical approach for most investors.
Monthly SIP aligned with salary cycle is optimal
SIP During Election Years and Budget Seasons
Election years and Union Budget weeks are periods of heightened market volatility. Historical data shows that markets can swing 3-5% in the week surrounding these events. However, looking at SIP performance over full election cycles (2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2024), the event-driven volatility has zero material impact on long-term SIP returns. In fact, the uncertainty often creates dips that benefit SIP investors through lower average costs. The Union Budget 2025 announcement caused a 1.5% same-day move, but a monthly SIP investor barely noticed it in their 10-year portfolio. Macro events create noise, not signal, for SIP investors.
Ignore political events and continue your SIP
Market data shown is illustrative/sample only. Not real-time. All information is for educational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.