Sensex ends 733 points lower, investors lose almost ₹7 lakh crore in a day - 10 key highlights from stock market today

Stock market today: The benchmark indices — BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 — extended their losing streak to a sixth straight session on Friday, September 26, as fresh Trump tariffs on pharmaceuticals and persistent foreign portfolio investor (FPI) selling weighed heavily on market sentiment.

Trump’s fresh tariffs on pharma, coupled with last week’s H-1B visa fee hike and Fed’s cautious stance on rate cuts, triggered heavy selling in IT and pharma stocks, dragged indices lower. Adding to the pressure, FPIs extended their selloff with ₹13,450 crore outflows in September.

The Sensex closed the day at 80,426.46, down 733.22 points, or 0.90 per cent, while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,654.70, down 236.15 points, or 0.95 per cent.

Overall this week, the Sensex has lost 2.66 percent while the broader Nifty has crashed 2.65 percent.

Broader markets were also down in today's deals. Nifty MidCap 100 index slipped 2 per cent, while Nifty SmallCap 100 index was down 2.26 per cent. While in one week, Nifty Midcap tanked 4.6 percent and Nifty Smallcap shed 5.10 percent.

Investors lost nearly ₹7 lakh crore in just today's session as the overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms dropped to nearly ₹450.8 lakh crore from ₹457.4 lakh crore in the previous session.

Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day

1. Why did the Indian stock market fall today?

Fresh tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on the pharma sector rattled Dalal Street, adding to concerns over an already steep 50 percent levy on Indian exports. On Thursday, Trump imposed a new round of tariffs on a wide basket of imports, including branded and patented drugs as well as heavy-duty trucks, effective October 1.

This came close on the heels of last week’s steep hike in H-1B visa fees to $1,000, which has pressured Indian IT stocks. With IT carrying heavy weightage in the benchmark indices, the sector’s decline has amplified the broader market weakness. Adding to the uncertainty, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell earlier this week hinted at a cautious stance on future rate cuts. Accenture's weak guidance in its Q4 results also aided the negative sentiment.

Meanwhile, sustained foreign portfolio investor (FPI) outflows have further soured sentiment. September has already seen net sales worth ₹13,450 crore, marking the third straight month of selling. So far in 2025, FPIs have pulled out ₹1,44,085 crore from Indian equities.

"The Indian market experienced a bloodbath, mirroring the rout across Asian markets. Investor sentiment was rattled by a fresh wave of tariffs targeting the pharmaceuticals, dragging pharma stocks deep into the red. Meanwhile, Accenture’s weaker guidance and job cuts highlighted slowing IT spending, with AI-driven growth failing to meet expectations, prompting a broad sell-off in tech shares. Investors remain cautious, with a near-term focus on domestic investment and consumption amid global uncertainty, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.

2. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index

As many as 44 stocks ended in the red in the Nifty 50 index. Shares of IndusInd Bank (down 3.88 per cent), M&M (down 3.68 per cent), and Tata Steel (down 2.92 per cent) ended as the top losers.

3. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index today

Only 6 stocks ended higher on Nifty 50 today. Shares of L&T (up 2.71 per cent), Tata Motors (up 1.45 per cent), and ITC (up 1.22 per cent) ended as the top gainers in the Nifty index.

4. Sectoral indices today

All sectoral indices ended with losses, with Nifty IT (down 2.45 per cent) ending as the top loser.

Nifty Pharma (down 2.14 per cent), Metal (down 1.93 per cent), and PSU Bank (down 1.78 per cent) ended with significant losses.

Meanwhile, Nifty Bank, Nifty Financial Services, Nifty Auto, and Nifty Realty fell round 1 percent each. Nifty FMCG was down half a percent.

5. Most active stocks in terms of volume

Vodafone Idea (159.72 crore), Adani Power (6.50 crore shares), RITES (3.74 crore), and Eternal (2.68 crore shares) were the most active stocks in terms of volume on the NSE.

6. 4 stocks jump over 9% on NSE

Bharat Gears, RACL Geartech, Automative Stampings and Assemblies, and Madhav Copper were the 4 stocks that jumped over 9 per cent on the NSE, defying weak market sentiment.

On the other hand, Shradha Infraprojects, Aeroflex NEU, and Hubtown were the 3 stocks that crashed over 10 per cent on the BSE.

7. Advance-decline ratio

Out of 3,138 stocks traded on the NSE, 628 advanced, while 2,424 declined. Some 86 stocks remained unchanged.

8. 50 stocks hit 52-week highs

As many as 50 stocks, including Maruti Suzuki, Usha Martin, Netweb Tehnologies, and JSW Steel hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade on the NSE.

9. 139 stocks hit 52-week lows

TCS, Petronet LNG, Route Mobile, Praj Industries, Sun Pharma, and Vedant Fashions were among the 139 stocks that hit their 52-week lows on the BSE.

10. Technical View

"Markets remained under pressure and extended their losing streak for the sixth straight session. The tone was weak from the outset and worsened as the day progressed. Eventually, the Nifty closed near the day’s low at 24,654.70, down 0.95%. The decline was broad-based, with pharma and IT stocks leading the fall following U.S. tariff announcements on branded drugs. The broader indices bore the brunt of the sell-off, slipping nearly 2% each.

On the technical front, sustained weakness in heavyweights has accelerated the index’s decline over the past two sessions, with the Nifty now approaching its key support near the 200 DEMA around 24,400. Meanwhile, the sharp correction in mid- and small-cap stocks has further dampened market sentiment. Given this backdrop, we recommend adopting a cautious approach—focusing on fundamentally strong stocks while avoiding aggressive directional bets until clearer signals emerge," said Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.