Top News

The Indian stock market closed in the red on Thursday, weighed down by broad-based selling across key sectors. The BSE Sensex slipped 344.66 points or 0.41 per cent to settle at an indicative close of 83,191.42, while the NSE Nifty fell 120.85 points or 0.47 per cent to end at 25,355.25. Investor sentiment remained cautious amid global market volatility and persistent concerns over interest rate trends and inflation. Weak cues from Asian markets and profit-booking in heavyweight stocks also contributed to the downward movement.

Market breadth was nearly balanced, with 1,919 stocks advancing, 1,947 declining, and 140 remaining unchanged on the BSE.

Sectorial Update

Barring metal and realty, all sectoral indices ended in the red, with notable losses in pharma, telecom, IT, PSU banks, and FMCG, each slipping around 0.5 per cent.

The broader markets also witnessed mild pressure, as the Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices declined 0.3 per cent each.

Among the top losers on the Nifty were Bharti Airtel, HDFC Life, Asian Paints, Apollo Hospitals, and Shriram Finance, while IndusInd Bank, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, and Bajaj Finserv emerged as the key gainers.

Previous Trading Session

In Wednesday’s trading session, Indian equity markets slipped into negative territory, snapping their recent rally as investors opted to book profits across key sectors. The BSE Sensex declined by 176.30 points, or 0.21 per cent, to close at 83,536.21, while the NSE Nifty50 shed 58.15 points, or 0.23 per cent, settling at 25,464.35. The downturn was largely influenced by subdued global cues and selective selling in heavyweight stocks, which weighed on overall market sentiment throughout the day.

(more to come)