Benchmark indices ended on a mixed note on Wednesday, with the Sensex gaining more than 100 points while the Nifty 50 closed lower, as buying in select heavyweight stocks and broader market segments helped offset weakness in financial, metal and energy stocks.
The BSE Sensex rose 113.61 points, or 0.15%, to close at 78,079.96. The NSE Nifty 50, however, declined 40.10 points, or 0.16%, to 24,395.85.
The market remained range-bound through the session, with investors weighing softer inflation readings in India and the US against concerns around elevated crude oil prices and continued geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East.
INDIGO, NTPC LEAD SENSEX GAINERS
Among the Sensex stocks, IndiGo was the top gainer, rising 2.86%, followed by NTPC, which gained 2.01%. Bharat Electronics rose 1.98%, while Larsen & Toubro advanced 1.95%.
Hindustan Unilever gained 1.72%, Eternal rose 1.60% and Tech Mahindra added 1.54%. Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Trent and HCLTech also ended higher.
On the losing side, UltarTech Cement fell 1.68%, making it the biggest Sensex laggard. Titan declined 1.08%, while ICICI Bank fell 1.26%. Reliance Industries slipped 0.80%, Infosys dropped 0.50% and Power Grid declined 0.76%.
IT, FMCG AND REALTY SUPPORT MARKET
The sectoral performance was mixed. Nifty Chemicals was the biggest gainer, rising 1.25%, while Nifty Realty gained 0.97% and Nifty FMCG advanced 0.84%.
Nifty IT rose 0.39%, Nifty Media gained 0.37% and Nifty Auto added 0.10%. Nifty Financial Services ex-Bank and Nifty Midcap Financial Services also ended marginally higher.
On the other hand, Nifty Metal fell 1.05%, while Nifty Pharma declined 0.28%. Nifty PSU Bank slipped 0.32% and Nifty Private Bank fell 0.54%. Nifty Financial Services 25/50 declined 0.44%, while Nifty Oil & Gas fell 0.37%.
Nifty Healthcare declined 0.30%, while Nifty Consumer Durables fell 0.47%. Nifty Midcap Healthcare was down 0.12%, while Nifty Midcap IT & Telecom gained 0.82%.
The broader market performed better than the benchmark indices. The Nifty Smallcap 100 rose 0.27%, while the Nifty Midcap 50 gained 0.22%. The Nifty Midcap 100 advanced 0.15%.
The Nifty 100 declined 0.14%, while the Nifty 200 fell 0.08% and the Nifty 500 slipped 0.06%.
The India VIX, a measure of expected market volatility, fell 2.33% to 11.42, suggesting that near-term volatility remained contained.
INFLATION, CRUDE OIL IN FOCUS
Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said, “Softer-than-feared inflation readings in both the U.S. and India provided support to investor sentiment, reinforcing expectations that the Fed and the RBI can maintain a patient policy stance in the near term. Yet, elevated crude oil prices remain a key overhang, with geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East preventing a stronger risk-on move.
“Meanwhile, the ongoing earnings season has broadly reinforced confidence in India’s underlying demand environment and corporate resilience, helping cushion the impact of external headwinds. In the near term, market direction is likely to be shaped by developments in energy markets, geopolitical risks and the sustainability of foreign capital inflows.”
The market’s mixed close came as investors balanced improving inflation conditions and resilient corporate earnings against the risks from crude oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty. The performance of global markets, foreign fund flows and developments in the energy market are likely to remain important triggers for Indian equities in the near term.
(Disclaimer: The views, opinions, recommendations, and suggestions expressed by experts/brokerages in this article are their own and do not reflect the views of the India Today Group. It is advisable to consult a qualified broker or financial advisor before making any actual investment or trading choices.)
– Ends
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