Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended the session in the red due to selective selling in banking and IT stocks. Also, investors remained risk-averse amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The 30-share BSE Sensex closed 238.41 points lower at 77,470.11. During the day, the benchmark hit a high of 77,753.18 and a low of 77,337.33, gyrating 415.85 points. The 50-share NSE Nifty was down by 50.80 points or 0.21 per cent and ended the session at 24,187.70. Despite geopolitical challenges, midcaps are performing well in anticipation of strong corporate earnings. The broader market ended the session in the green. While the BSE MidCap Select Index gained 36.14 points or 0.20 per cent, the BSE SmallCap Select Index fell 14.30 points or 0.16 per cent.ย
Among sectoral indices, Nifty Bank and Nifty IT witnessed selling pressure, followed by Nifty FMCG.ย ย
“It was another subdued session on Dalal Street, with Nifty declining 50 points to close at 24,187…Broader markets continued to outperform the benchmark. The Nifty Midcap 100 rose 0.30%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.53%. Market breadth stayed positive for the second session in a row, with the BSE advance-decline ratio at 1.08, signalling buying interest in mid- and small-caps for the second consecutive session. ,” said Nandish Shah – Deputy Vice President, HDFC Securities.
Top gainers and losersย
Among the 30-Sensex firms, Bajaj Finserv, Indigo, UltraTech Cement, HCLTech and M&M were the major gainers, with Bajaj Finserv gaining 2.07 per cent today. On the flip side, HDFC Bank, Reliance, SBIN, TCS and Infosys were among the laggards. The shares of HDFC Bank fell 2.08 per cent today.
Today, shares of 21 out of 30 Sensex companies closed in the green, while the remaining 9 closed in the red. On the other hand, shares of 33 out of 50 Nifty 50 companies also closed in the green, with gains, while the 17 other closed in the red.ย
Rupee falls 14 paiseย
Meanwhile, the rupee weakened by around 22 paise to 96.23, as crude oil prices continued to hold above USD 85 per barrel and persistent FII outflows kept pressure on the domestic currency.ย Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading lower by 0.03 per cent at 100.91.
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(This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, financial, or other advice.)