The Indian benchmark equity indices, BSE Sensex and Nifty 50, experienced a decline on Friday, with Sensex dropping 384.43 points (0.48%) to 79,680 and Nifty down 144.35 points (0.59%) to 24,255 by 10 AM. This came after a volatile start, initially opening with slight gains.
Among the 30 Sensex stocks, less than half were in the red, significantly impacted by IndusInd Bank’s 10% drop, along with losses from NTPC, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra, and JSW Steel. On the upside, ITC led the gains with a rise of 3.15%, followed by Axis Bank, Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever, and HCLTech.
Sector-wise, indices like Nifty Bank, Auto, Metal, Realty, Consumer Durables, and Oil & Gas saw declines, while the FMCG index rose by 1.45%. The broader markets reflected similar trends, with the Nifty Midcap 100 down 0.29% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 slightly up by 0.04%.
Thursday’s trading session also closed on a subdued note, with Sensex ending at 80,065.16, down 16.82 points (0.02%), and Nifty 50 down 36.10 points (0.15%). Of the Nifty 50 stocks, 26 ended in the green, led by Ultratech Cement and Shriram Finance, while Hindustan Unilever and SBI Life saw significant declines.
Despite the market downturn, mutual fund investors injected nearly Rs 17,100 crore into key equity schemes recently, demonstrating resilience amid the current selloff. Since reaching all-time highs on September 26, both Sensex and Nifty 50 have fallen nearly 7%.