Factors that will drive markets this week

Global trends, WPI inflation data for April and the ongoing quarterly earnings of corporates would be the major driving factors for the stock markets, analysts said.

Investors would also keep a tab on the movement of foreign institutional investors who are on a selling spree in the domestic equity market for the past many days.

"Inflation concern and monetary tightening across the globe are key concerns for the equity markets.

"Equity markets are under the strong grip of bears however they look extremely oversold and due for a pullback rally.

"The sell-off in the US market, especially in tech stocks, was very severe and there is some stability in the last two trading sessions that may provide some respite to the bulls," said Santosh Meena, Head of Research, Swastika Investmart Ltd.

Meena said there are no major cues for this week therefore direction of global cues will be important, however some stock-specific movement will continue amid the tail-end of Q4 earnings.

"On the domestic front, listing of LIC IPO will be a key sentimental trigger for the Indian equity market.

"FIIs are selling relentlessly whereas DIIs are trying to compensate for their selling therefore their behaviours will also play an important role in the direction of the market.

"Movement of the dollar index, crude oil prices, and  direction of rupee will be other important factors," he added.

Investors would also watch out for WPI inflation data for April which would be announced on Tuesday, analysts said.

Shrikant Chouhan, head of equity research (retail), Kotak Securities, said, "Rising bond yields, high inflation levels and monetary policy tightening action by central banks globally will weigh on near term sentiments which could keep markets volatile.

"Stock-specific action will continue due to ongoing result season."

Bharti Airtel, DLF, IOC, ITC, IDFC, JK Tyre & Industries and NTPC are among the companies that will announce their financial results this week.

Last week, the Sensex lost 2,041.96 points or 3.72 per cent, while the Nifty plunged 629.10 points or 3.83 per cent.

Lingering concerns over weakening rupee, global interest rate hikes, elevated inflation numbers and lockdowns in China kept the markets on the edge last week, said Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services.

Going ahead, the major determinant for market direction would be the pace of decline in inflation in response to the Fed measures, he added.