Sensex And Nifty Trade Steady On Mixed Global Signals And Year-End Caution

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty opened Monday’s session with marginal gains, reflecting a cautious market mood amid mixed global cues and subdued year-end participation.

As of 9:30 AM, the Sensex inched up 40 points, or 0.04%, to 85,081, while the Nifty 50 gained 14 points, or 0.05%, to 26,057.

Broad-market indices followed suit, with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.14% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 adding 0.18%.

Among Nifty constituents, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, and NTPC led the gains, whereas Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, and Tata Consumer underperformed.

Sector-wise, Nifty Metal emerged as the top performer, climbing 1.11%, followed by Nifty Auto and Nifty Realty, which increased 0.26% and 0.25%, respectively.

Technical Levels and Market Outlook

Analysts suggest that immediate support for Nifty is in the 25,850–25,900 zone, while resistance lies between 26,150–26,200.

Stable crude prices and a steady rupee have provided underlying support, preventing sharp declines.

Market experts note that while India underperformed compared to most developed and emerging markets in 2025, 2026 may see a turnaround due to the country’s robust macroeconomic fundamentals.

Strong economic growth and an earnings recovery from Q3 FY26 position India in the so-called ‘Goldilocks’ zone.

However, analysts caution that these factors alone may not trigger a significant rally.

A potential US-India trade deal with positive surprises could act as a catalyst. In its absence, a consolidation phase is expected in the near term.

Asian markets showed a mixed performance in early trade. China’s Shanghai Index advanced 0.31%, and Shenzhen added 0.03%. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.31%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.39% and South Korea’s Kospi surged 1.52%.

US markets closed slightly lower in the previous session, with the Nasdaq down 0.09%, the S&P 500 easing 0.03%, and the Dow Jones declining 0.04%.

On December 26, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth ₹317 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) remained net buyers, acquiring shares worth ₹1,772 crore.

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