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Bajaj Finance: India’s equity markets witnessed a turbulent week as weak global and domestic cues triggered heavy selling across major stocks. Among the most affected companies was Bajaj Finance, whose market capitalisation dropped by more than Rs 14,000 crore in a single week. The overall market sentiment remained fragile, reflecting broader concerns such as global economic uncertainty, foreign investor withdrawals, and sustained pressure on the Indian rupee.

The decline in Bajaj Finance’s valuation was not an isolated event. In fact, nine out of the ten most valued companies in India collectively lost around Rs 2.51 lakh crore in market capitalisation during the week. This sharp downturn highlights the intensity of the sell-off and the cautious approach adopted by investors amid uncertain conditions.

Broader Market Sell-Off Intensifies Pressure

The Indian stock market remained under stress throughout the week as benchmark indices faced continuous selling pressure. The Sensex, a key indicator of market performance, fell by over 2,000 points, marking a weekly decline of around 2.4 percent. This fall reflected a risk-off mood among investors, who preferred to stay on the sidelines rather than deploy fresh capital.

Market analysts pointed out that global developments played a major role in weakening investor confidence. Concerns around slowing global growth, geopolitical tensions, and expectations of tighter monetary policies in major economies led to volatility across international markets. These factors, combined with persistent foreign institutional investor selling, added to the pressure on Indian equities.

Bajaj Finance Among Major Losers

Bajaj Finance emerged as one of the notable losers during the week, with its market capitalisation slipping by approximately Rs 14,094 crore. The company’s valuation declined to around Rs 5.77 lakh crore, reflecting the broader weakness in financial stocks. Investors appeared cautious about the near-term outlook for non-banking financial companies amid rising funding costs and uncertainty around consumer demand.

Despite its strong long-term fundamentals, Bajaj Finance was not immune to the prevailing market conditions. Analysts believe that short-term volatility and global risk factors overshadowed company-specific strengths, leading to profit booking and reduced exposure.

Heavy Losses Across Top Valued Companies

Reliance Industries faced the steepest decline among India’s top companies, with its market valuation plunging by nearly Rs 97,000 crore. Other major banks and technology firms also saw significant erosion in value. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bharti Airtel, and Larsen and Toubro all recorded substantial weekly losses.

State Bank of India and Infosys were also impacted, though to a relatively lesser extent. The broad-based nature of the decline indicates that investors were not selective and chose to reduce risk across sectors such as banking, information technology, telecom, and infrastructure.

Expert Views on Market Weakness

Market experts attributed the sell-off to a combination of domestic and international factors. According to analysts, continuous selling by foreign investors remained a key concern, as it exerted pressure on both equity prices and the rupee. Additionally, muted corporate earnings growth and lack of strong positive triggers contributed to the negative sentiment.

Ajit Mishra, Senior Vice President of Research at Religare Broking, noted that bears dominated the market throughout the week. He highlighted that multiple concerns, ranging from global economic challenges to domestic uncertainties, kept investors cautious and limited buying interest.

Hindustan Unilever Defies the Trend

Amid the widespread losses, Hindustan Unilever stood out as the only company among the top ten to register gains. Its market capitalisation increased by over Rs 12,000 crore during the week. The defensive nature of consumer goods stocks and stable earnings outlook helped the company attract investor interest despite broader market weakness.

Current Ranking of India’s Most Valued Companies

Despite the recent decline, Reliance Industries retained its position as India’s most valued company. It was followed by HDFC Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, Hindustan Unilever, and Larsen and Toubro. Market participants will closely watch upcoming global developments and corporate earnings to assess whether stability can return in the near term.