The Indian markets ended Thursday’s session lower, dragged down by late selling pressure and cautious investor sentiment.
Both Sensex and Nifty gave up early gains as the market remained range-bound amid anticipation of a potential India-US trade deal.
The BSE Sensex climbed to an intra-day high of 83,850 in early trade but lost momentum to close 170.22 points or 0.2% lower at 83,239.70. Similarly, the NSE Nifty shed 48.1 points or 0.19%, ending the session at 25,405.30.
“Markets traded volatily on the weekly expiry day and continued their consolidation phase,” said Ajit Mishra, SVP – Technical Research, Religare Broking.
He added that Nifty swung sharply in both directions but stayed within Wednesday’s trading range.
Despite the subdued close, analysts believe the broader market trend remains bullish.
“Unless the index decisively breaches the 25,200-mark on the downside, the trend stays intact. Immediate resistance lies in the 25,650–25,750 zone,” Mishra noted.
Top gainers and losers
On the Sensex, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Trent, and State Bank of India were among the top losers.
Meanwhile, gains in Maruti Suzuki India, Infosys, NTPC, Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever, and Eternal helped cushion the fall.
The broader markets showed mixed trends.
The Nifty Midcap100 index closed flat with a slight positive bias.
In contrast, the Nifty Smallcap100 index declined by 0.26%.
Sector-wise, the Nifty PSU Bank index recorded the steepest fall of 0.89%, pressured by losses in Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, UCO Bank, and Central Bank of India.
Other underperforming sectors included metals, real estate, banking, and financial services.
On the flip side, investors showed interest in media, auto, pharma, healthcare, consumer durables, oil & gas, and FMCG stocks, which all closed in the green.
The Indian rupee rose to its highest level in a month, buoyed by expectations of foreign capital inflows and optimism surrounding the India-US trade talks.
“In the near term, the USD/INR spot exchange rate is likely to find support at 84.95 and face resistance at 85.70,” said Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst at HDFC Securities.
Market experts expect investors to stay cautious, tracking global trade, FII activity, and key economic data.
The potential India-US trade agreement remains a key trigger influencing investor sentiment.
Also Read: Indian Stock Market Opens Higher; Sensex Crosses 83,400
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