Indian markets may see a rally in the near term due to expected positive developments such as a trade deal with the US and further interest rate reduction by the Reserve Bank of India.
Earnings growth will be crucial for sustaining market momentum rather than external factors, as India Inc.'s earnings have been declining for the past four quarters.
Ambit Investment Managers MD expressed skepticism about earnings rebound in the second half and highlighted that the stock market is expected to be a stock-picking market with no clear sector trend.
Agarwal mentioned that economic events globally are likely to cause an economic slowdown, leading to cuts in discretionary budgets with IT sector growth outlook not expected to be strong.