Sensex Slips 100 Points, Nifty Falls Below 25,850; TMCV Declines 3%, Honasa Consumer Surges 9%

Sensex, Nifty Start Flat; Global Cues Mixed, Broader Markets Inch Higher.

Indian equities opened on a muted note on Thursday, with benchmark indices trading flat amid a lack of strong domestic or global triggers. The BSE Sensex was down 114 points (0.14%) at 84,405, while the NSE Nifty50 slipped 26 points (0.1%) to 25,850. Broader indices fared slightly better — the Nifty Midcap index edged up 0.02%, and the Nifty Smallcap index gained 0.2%, indicating stock-specific action beyond the frontline names.

Mixed Global Setup
Across Asia, markets were mixed following a volatile session on Wall Street. Investors remained focused on developments in Washington, with growing optimism that the prolonged US government shutdown could end later this week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 0.4%, South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.3%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.2%.

Overnight in the US, equities closed on a mixed note as traders rotated out of high-growth tech names and awaited a potential breakthrough on the federal funding bill. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.68%, the S&P 500 ended nearly flat, and the Nasdaq Composite eased 0.26%.

Analysts expect Indian markets to remain range-bound in the near term, with focus shifting to earnings, policy signals, and global macro trends.