Sensex sheds 345 pts; Nifty ends below 25,400 as investors eye Q1 results and US trade talks
BIZ DESK
Domestic equity markets extended their decline for the second straight session on Thursday, weighed down by heightened volatility ahead of the weekly derivatives expiry and a lack of fresh positive triggers. Investor sentiment remained cautious as market participants awaited the start of the June-quarter earnings season and monitored developments in the long-pending India-US trade negotiations.
At close, the BSE Sensex fell 345 points, or 0.41%, to settle at 83,190, while the NSE Nifty50 declined 121 points, or 0.47%, to end the day at 25,355.
Broader Market Performance
In the broader BSE market, indices offered a mixed picture.
- The Mid-Cap index slipped 0.28%, extending losses.
- However, the Small-Cap index bucked the trend and gained 0.12%, recovering from earlier declines.
Sensex Gainers and Losers
Out of the 30 Sensex constituents, only six stocks closed in the green.
- Maruti Suzuki emerged as the top gainer, rising 1.36%.
- Tata Steel followed with a 1.04% gain, while Bajaj Finance added 0.7%.
On the downside, - Bharti Airtel dropped sharply by 2.62%,
- Asian Paints fell 1.9%, and
- Infosys declined over 1%, reflecting weakness in select heavyweight counters.
Sectoral Trends at BSE
Among the 21 sectoral indices, only four ended in the green, showing sector-specific resilience amid a generally weak session.
- BSE Realty was the standout performer, rising 0.69%,
- followed by BSE Metals up 0.4%, and
- Utilities inching higher by 0.03%.
On the losing side, - BSE Teck and Telecom indices fell 1.17% and 1.11%, respectively,
- while Consumer Durables slipped 0.4%.
Market Breadth and Stock Highlights
The market breadth at the BSE tilted negative:
- 2,064 stocks declined,
- 1,959 advanced, and
- 138 remained unchanged.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE):
- 68 stocks recorded their 52-week highs,
- whereas 28 stocks hit 52-week lows, indicating a fragmented market tone.