STT hike on Futures drags markets down; Sensex crashes 2,370 points

Core Viewpoint - The Finance Minister's proposal to increase the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on futures to 0.05% is expected to have a structurally negative impact on the capital market ecosystem, particularly affecting futures and options (F&O) driven businesses [1][11]. Market Reaction - The benchmark stock indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced significant declines, with Sensex dropping by nearly 2% and settling at 80,722.94, down 1,546.84 points or 1.88% [2][3]. - The NSE Nifty fell by 495.20 points or 1.96%, closing at 24,825.45, with an intraday low of 24,571.75, a drop of 2.95% [3][7]. Impact on Trading and Liquidity - Higher transaction costs due to the increased STT are likely to reduce trading volumes, dampen short-term momentum, and lower profitability for active market participants [12][16]. - Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) participation in derivatives may decline as post-tax trading efficiency diminishes, which could negatively impact overall market liquidity [13][8]. Sector Performance - Among the 30 Sensex firms, State Bank of India and Adani Ports saw significant losses of 5.61% and 5.53%, respectively, with other companies like Bharat Electronics, ITC, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, and Reliance Industries also among the laggards [6][7]. - Conversely, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Sun Pharma, and Titan were noted as gainers during this period [8][7]. Long-term Outlook - While the proposed STT increase is seen as a short-term dampener for capital market entities, some analysts suggest it may have positive implications in the long term [9]. - The budget also aims to support sectors affected by global trade tariffs and focuses on emerging areas such as data centers, semiconductors, and biopharma, which may provide some resilience to the market [10].