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Monday, February 23, 2026

23/02/26, The FinancialExpress Report on Supreme Court Ruling

The Indian markets are set for a fresh round of uncertainty after the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's global tariff order.

Most experts believe that the market would open with a gap up because the new rate of 15% for 150 days, which the US government proposes to impose, will be lower. However, there won't be any material directional change.

While the Gift City Nifty was up 320 point or 1.25% on Saturday, Pratik Gupta, CEO and Co-Head, Kotak Institutional Equities and Sudeep Shah, head - technical & derivatives research, SBI Securities believe that the optimism will be tempered by realism and any change is likely to short lived.

Both Pratik Gupta, CEO and Co-Head, Kotak Institutional Equities and Sudeep Shah, head - technical & derivatives research, SBI Securities said that the optimism will be tempered by realism and any change is likely to short lived.

A Balasubramanian, CEO, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC, said the ruling is "a positive development from the emerging markets point of view," especially for sectors like textiles, chemicals, and auto components. He added that US companies, which had not fully passed on tariff costs to consumers, may also benefit.

Gupta believes that there is some uncertainty in global trade again after the US Supreme Court order. That is why the US market has not reacted significantly to the ruling. "In India, the concern was not so much about the tariffs in themselves but about the state of bilateral relations with the US," he said.

The rupee, too, is expected to strengthen modestly. "Sentimentally positive for the rupee but may not lead to much appreciation," an economist said.

Market researches on Rupee value

Ritesh Bhansali, Deputy CEO of Mecklai Financial Services, expects the rupee to trade in the 90.40-91.50 range in the near term. "The rupee is likely to give back some of its gains and open around 90.80-90.85 on Monday, especially with the tariff structure now shifting to 15%, compared with the earlier 18%."

He added that there could also be two way volatility next week as markets react to President Trump's tariff moves and any fresh developments on the US-Iran front. Alok Singh, treasury head of CSB Bank, added that while the ruling is positive, "much of it is already priced in"

Gupta pointed out that while clarity is needed on the tariffs on Indian exports to the US, institutional investors (both Indian and overseas) are more focused on other issues, as India's exports are only ~17% of GDP.

Impact of a potential US-Iran conflict

Near-term concerns like a potential US-Iran conflict and its impact on oil prices, as well as medium-term challenges such as the effect of AI (artificial intelligence) on IT sector jobs, weigh more heavily. "The corporate earnings outlook, the monsoon's impact on agriculture, and India's export diversification with the EU are also critical," added Gupta.

A SBI Research note stated that this has immediate implications for India's exporters. Higher landed costs, double exposure for steel and aluminium (which continue to face Section 232 duties), and uncertainty over Congressional ratification all weigh on trade flows. The research note flags the unresolved question of refunds for the $160-175 billion collected globally under earlier tariffs, a process that could take years.

In the near term, the tariff reset eases the burden on Indian exporters. The effective rate for India drops from 25% to 15%, compared with the 18% rate that had been agreed upon but not formally notified. Export oriented sectors - IT, pharma, metals, textiles, engineering goods - stand to benefit from the reduction in uncertainty, added Shah.

Indian equities have shown resilience over the past year. The BSE Sensex has risen nearly 10%, while the Nifty 50 index has gained over 11%, supported by strong domestic liquidity, improved earnings, and macro stability.

While the tariff ruling removes one layer of uncertainty, it does not change the market's concern about the risk of a US-Iran conflict. With crude prices already elevated and India heavily dependent on imports, any escalation could pressure inflation, the rupee, and corporate margins, overshadowing the tariff breather.

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