Markets End Lower: Sensex Down 176 pts, Nifty Below 25,500; HCLTech Drags

Sensex Drops 176 pts, Nifty Below 25,500 as IT, Metal Stocks Weigh; HCLTech Slumps 2%.

Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Tuesday amid selling pressure in IT, metal, and energy stocks. The Sensex declined 176.43 points to close at 83,536.08, while the Nifty50 slipped 46.40 points to 25,476.10.

Markets traded in a narrow range through the session, with sentiment supported by optimism around domestic consumption, even as global uncertainties lingered.

“Key indices remained largely range-bound, with domestic consumption themes driving investor interest. Early signs of recovery are visible, aided by easing inflation, good monsoon progress, and improving rural demand,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.

Key Gainers & Laggards
Among Nifty’s top performers were:

Bajaj Finance (+1.40%)

Hindustan Unilever (+1.26%)

UltraTech Cement (+0.90%)

Power Grid (+0.59%)

Asian Paints (+0.57%)

On the losing side:

HCL Technologies led the decline, falling 2.03%

Tata Steel (-1.82%)

Tech Mahindra (-1.39%)

Reliance Industries (-1.28%)

Bharti Airtel (-1.01%)

Broader Market Mixed; VIX Falls
In the broader market, Nifty Midcap 100 edged down 0.13%, while Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.59%. Market volatility eased, with the India VIX falling 2.09%.

Sectoral Snapshot
Gaining sectors included:

FMCG (+0.80%)

Consumer Durables (+0.48%)

PSU Banks (+0.43%)

Auto (+0.38%)

Pharma (+0.19%)

Financial Services (+0.18%)

Underperforming sectors were:

Realty (-1.49%)

Metal (-1.40%)

Oil & Gas (-1.25%)

IT (-0.78%)

Media (-0.39%)

Healthcare (-0.36%)

Private Banks (-0.07%)

“Despite global trade and commodity headwinds, investor focus is shifting toward domestic earnings, urban demand recovery, and infra-driven growth,” Nair added.

Markets will now look to domestic macro data and corporate earnings for further direction.