Sensex, Nifty Extend Decline As Global Tensions Keep Markets On Edge

Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Wednesday, extending their losing streak to a third consecutive session as investors remained wary of escalating geopolitical developments. Ongoing global uncertainties and cautious sentiment dominated trading throughout the day.

The BSE Sensex settled at 81,909.63, registering a decline of 270.84 points, or 0.33 per cent. Similarly, the NSE Nifty closed at 25,157.5, down 75 points, or 0.3 per cent, reflecting sustained selling pressure across key counters.

A sustained break below 25,130 could reopen downside toward 24,920–24,900,” a market expert mentioned.

“At this stage, price action reflects consolidation after exhaustion, not a confirmed trend reversal, with the index posting its fourth consecutive weak close,” the analyst added.

Heavyweight Stocks Weigh on Indices

Selling pressure in select blue-chip stocks dragged the benchmarks lower. Counters such as ICICI Bank, Trent, Bharat Electronics Limited, Axis Bank and Larsen & Toubro emerged as major contributors to the decline.

At the same time, buying interest in a few stocks helped limit sharper losses. Shares of Eternal, UltraTech Cement, Adani Ports and IndiGo attracted investors, providing some support to the indices during the session.

Sector-wise performance remained mixed, with chemicals witnessing the steepest fall. The Nifty Chemical index dropped sharply by 2.12 per cent, reflecting broad weakness in the segment.

Consumer-focused stocks also faced selling pressure, as the Nifty Consumer Durables index slipped 1.66 per cent.

Banking stocks remained under strain, with the Nifty Bank index closing 1.02 per cent lower. In contrast, metal and oil and gas stocks displayed relative strength, as the Nifty Metal index rose 0.57 per cent and the oil and gas index gained 0.27 per cent.

The broader market echoed the weakness seen in frontline indices. The Nifty MidCap 100 index declined by 1.14 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index ended the session 0.9 per cent lower.

Meanwhile, the Indian rupee traded on a softer note, hovering below the 91.60 mark and slipping nearly 0.70 per cent.

Analysts attributed the weakness to heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe and Greenland, renewed concerns over possible US tariff actions, and uncertainty surrounding an India–US trade agreement.

“A sharp rally in bullion prices has further pressured the rupee by inflating the import bill. The currency is likely to remain volatile in a broad range of 90.90–92 in the near term,” an expert noted.

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