Benchmark Indices Close Flat; Adani Ports Gains Over 5%

The domestic benchmark indices closed flat on Thursday, weighed down by selling pressure in IT, FMCG, metal, media, and private banking sectors on the Nifty.

Adani Ports was the top gainer, with its shares up over 5% to Rs 1,243.90. Adani Green Energy rose by Rs 33.20, closing at Rs 1,064.30.

The Sensex settled marginally lower at 78,472.48, down by just 0.39 points. The Nifty 50, however, edged up 22.55 points or 0.10% to close at 23,750.20.

Nifty Bank however closed at 51,170.70, down by 62.30 points or 0.12%. The Nifty Midcap 100 index finished at 57,125.70, gaining 67.80 points or 0.12%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index ended at 18,728.65, slipping by 4 points or 0.02%.

On the BSE, 1,639 stocks closed in the green, 2,329 in the red, and 106 remained unchanged.

Indices Flat On Year-End Expiry; Auto Stocks Gain

Experts noted that on the final expiry day of the year, the domestic market traded flat, influenced by holidays in global markets and a lack of significant domestic or international triggers. Auto stocks benefited from recent corrections, seeing gains.

On the sectoral front, buying was observed in the Auto, PSU Bank, Financial Services, Pharma, Realty, Energy, Infrastructure, and Commodities sectors on the Nifty.

Among the Sensex stocks, Adani Ports, M&M, Maruti Suzuki, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, Kotak Mahindra Bank, UltraTech Cement, Power Grid, HCL Tech, SBI, and Tata Steel emerged as the top gainers. In contrast, Titan, Asian Paints, Zomato, Tech Mahindra, Nestle India, and Reliance were the biggest losers.

An expert stated, “Concerns over FII outflows and the depreciating rupee persist, given the strengthening US dollar index and worries about potential adverse tariffs and concerns over rate cuts in 2025, held the muted market trend.”

FIIs offloaded equities worth Rs 2,454.21 crore on 24 December, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased stocks worth Rs 2,819.25 crore, slightly offsetting the selling pressure.

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