The Indian benchmark indices closed on a lower note on Wednesday as the Sensex declined 246 points to end trade at 83,380.70, while the Nifty fell over 60 points to close at 25,669.20.
In the BSE Sensex, among the top gainers were stocks like Tata Steel, NTPC, Axis Bank, Ultra Cement and Eternal. Meanwhile, the laggards included stocks like State Bank of India, PowerGrid, Bharti Airtel, Mahindra and Mahindra and Bajaj Finserv.
In the broader markets, the Nifty Smallcap 50 rose 0.86 per cent and the Nifty 100 fell 0.15 per cent. Sectorally, Nifty IT stocks tumbled 1.08 per cent and the Nifty Metal index jumped 2.70 per cent.
Previously, the indices opened marginally lower, with the 30-share BSE Sensex slipping 53.88 points to 83,573.11, while the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 16.55 points to 25,719.25 in early trade.
Foreign Investors
Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 1,499.81 crore on Tuesday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth Rs 1,181.78 crore, according to exchange data.
Market Sentiment Remains Cautious
Market sentiment continues to be guarded amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, tariff-related uncertainties, sustained foreign fund outflows and firmer crude oil prices. While select Asian markets are showing pockets of strength, global cues remain mixed, with US indices closing in the red overnight, said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth technology firm.
Asian, US Market Cues
In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi index, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index were trading higher. US markets, however, ended lower on Tuesday.
Crude Prices, Technical Outlook
Elevated crude oil prices, persistent foreign outflows and fragile global cues are likely to keep volatility high, with market sentiment hinging on whether the Nifty can decisively hold its key support levels or stage a convincing breakout above 26,100, said Prashanth Tapse, Senior Vice President (Research) at Mehta Equities Ltd.
Oil Prices
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, slipped 0.49 per cent to USD 65.15 per barrel.
