Sensex 100 Pts Lower At 81,600; Nifty Around 24,650; FMCG, Auto Drag

Benchmark Indian equity indices, the BSE Sensex and Nifty 50, were trading lower on Monday, weighed down by losses in the FMCG and auto sectors.

As of 1 PM, the BSE Sensex had dropped by 111.84 points, or 0.14%, to stand at 81,597. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 was at 24,639, down by 38 points, or 0.16%.

After the opening bell, more than half of the stocks on the BSE Sensex were in the red. The top gainers included Larsen & Toubro (up 1.25%), followed by NTPC, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finance, and HDFC Bank. However, the FMCG sector took a significant hit, with Hindustan Unilever down by 3.23%, along with UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys, and Nestle India dragging the index lower.

Similarly, on the Nifty 50, 26 out of the 50 stocks were in positive territory. Larsen & Toubro led the gains, up 1.52%, followed by SBI Life, Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, and BEL. On the downside, Hindustan Unilever suffered a 3.52% drop, with other laggards including Tata Consumer Products, Britannia, Nestle India, and UltraTech Cement.

Across sectors, the FMCG index emerged as the biggest drag, falling 1.62%. This decline was mainly driven by Godrej Consumer Products, which plunged 10%. Other sectors following FMCG lower included Media, Healthcare, Pharma, Metal, PSU Bank, and Auto indices. Meanwhile, the Consumer Durables, Financials, and IT indices managed to post gains, helping offset the broader market weakness.

In the broader markets, Nifty Midcap 100 was up by 0.36%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 rose by 0.11%, showing relative strength compared to the major indices.

Monday’s market activity reflected a cautious sentiment, with FMCG and auto stocks leading the declines. However, pockets of strength in sectors like IT, Financials, and Consumer Durables provided some support, while midcap and smallcap stocks showed resilience. Investors will likely watch these trends closely, as the market continues to digest sector-specific challenges and opportunities.