BIZ DESK
Indian equity benchmarks ended on a mixed note Friday after a volatile session, with the Sensex snapping its two-day winning run even as the Nifty extended gains for a third straight day.
The BSE Sensex closed marginally lower by 7.25 points, or 0.01%, at 80,710.76, after slipping to an intraday low of 80,321.19. In contrast, the NSE Nifty50 edged up 6.70 points, or 0.03%, to finish at 24,641.
Top movers: On the Sensex, M&M, Maruti Suzuki, and Reliance Industries were the leading gainers, while ITC, HCL Tech, and TCS weighed on the index. On the NSE, Eicher Motors, Shriram Finance, and M&M topped the charts, while ITC, Cipla, and HCL Tech were among the laggards.
Broader markets: Outperformance continued in the broader space, with the Nifty Midcap 100 closing 0.20% higher and the Nifty SmallCap 100 up 0.19%.
Sectoral trend: The rally was led by Auto stocks (Nifty Auto up 1.25%) on strong buying in M&M and Maruti. Metals (0.68%) and Media (0.59%) also supported gains. On the flip side, IT (-1.44%), FMCG (-1.42%), and Realty (-1.16%) dragged the market lower.
Analysts said consolidation at higher levels is likely, with global cues and upcoming macro data to drive near-term direction.