Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower on Wednesday, ending their four-day rally due to selling pressure in blue-chip stocks such as Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank. The 30-share BSE Sensex fell by 153.09 points or 0.19 percent, closing at 81,773.66 after reaching a high of 82,257.74 and a low of 81,646.08, a fluctuation of 611.66 points. The 50-share NSE Nifty decreased by 62.15 points or 0.25 percent to settle at 25,046.15. Analysts indicated that profit-taking in sectors like auto, real estate, and banking contributed to the market downturn. Key laggards among Sensex firms included Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharat Electronics, UltraTech Cement, Trent, Sun Pharma, Power Grid, and Reliance Industries.
Conversely, Titan, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Tech, and Tech Mahindra emerged as the principal gainers. Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, noted that the key indices experienced volatility, influenced by profit booking following a significant rally, with investor caution prevalent ahead of the Q2 earnings season as market participants reevaluated valuations and growth prospects. Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking Ltd, mentioned that the markets traded sideways on Wednesday, concluding with a slight decline after the recent surge. After a subdued start, the Nifty fluctuated within a narrow range for most of the session and ultimately closed near the day’s low at 25,046.15.
The BSE midcap index fell by 0.74 percent while the smallcap index dropped by 0.42 percent. In terms of sector performance, realty declined by 1.88 percent, power by 1.49 percent, auto by 1.35 percent, and utilities by 1.29 percent. On the other hand, the BSE Focused IT index rose by 1.67 percent, the IT index increased by 1.50 percent, the tech index gained 1.34 percent, and consumer durables went up by 0.37 percent. Out of 4,310 stocks traded on the BSE, 2,434 declined, 1,740 advanced, and 156 remained unchanged.
