Market Ends Lower for 5th Day: Sensex Tanks 331 Points, Nifty Closes Below 23,800

Stock Market Today: Sensex falls 331 points, Nifty slips below 23,800 as global worries weigh on sentiment

Indian equity markets extended their losing streak to a fifth consecutive session on Friday, with benchmark indices closing lower amid persistent concerns over geopolitical tensions in West Asia, elevated crude oil prices, global inflation risks and uncertainty surrounding US trade tariffs. Although markets recovered sharply from intraday lows, the rebound was not enough to push indices into positive territory.

The BSE Sensex ended 331.62 points (0.43%) lower at 76,059.77, while the Nifty 50 declined 102.15 points (0.43%) to settle at 23,767.45, slipping below the key 23,800 mark.

Sharp recovery after weak start

Markets opened sharply lower, with the Sensex plunging over 900 points to an intraday low of 75,474.43. However, buying in heavyweight banking and IT stocks during the second half helped the benchmark recover nearly 585 points before the close. The Sensex also touched an intraday high of 76,210.95.

Bank Nifty outperforms broader market

While headline indices remained under pressure, banking stocks bucked the trend. The Nifty Bank rose 0.18% to close at 56,693.50, supported by selective buying in large private lenders. The Nifty Midcap 50 also ended marginally higher.

Broader markets, however, remained subdued, with the Nifty Midcap 100 slipping 0.10% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 declining 0.32%.

Volatility remains elevated

The India VIX, often referred to as the market’s fear gauge, climbed 4.11% to 14.03, indicating that investor caution remains high despite the recovery from intraday lows.

IT stocks provide support

Technology stocks emerged as the biggest support for the market. The Nifty IT index gained 0.82%, while the Nifty PSU Bank index advanced 0.58%. The Media index was the day’s top-performing sector, rising 1.86%.

On the other hand, Auto, Oil & Gas, Pharma, Metals and Realty stocks ended in the red, reflecting broad-based weakness across rate-sensitive and commodity-linked sectors.

Among Sensex constituents, HCLTech led the gainers, followed by ITC, Axis Bank, Trent, Maruti Suzuki, Reliance Industries and TCS. Major laggards included Eternal, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, Asian Paints, Tata Steel and Sun Pharma.

Global concerns keep investors cautious

Investor sentiment remained fragile as markets tracked developments in the Middle East, where geopolitical tensions continue to raise concerns over energy supplies and inflation.

Although crude oil prices eased from recent highs during the session, investors remained cautious about the possibility of fresh supply disruptions. At the same time, uncertainty over new US tariff measures and expectations that the US Federal Reserve could keep interest rates higher for longer continued to weigh on global markets.

Experts see near-term volatility

Market experts believe elevated crude oil prices, rising US bond yields and global policy uncertainty could keep equity markets volatile in the near term.

According to analysts, easing crude prices and selective buying in banking and IT stocks helped limit Friday’s losses, but concerns over inflation, India’s import bill, the rupee and global trade remain key factors that investors will continue to monitor in the coming sessions.