Sensex falls 150 points, Nifty below 25,950 — 10 key highlights from Indian stock market today

Stock market today: Indian benchmark indices ended the highly volatile trading session on Tuesday marginally in the red amid fag-end buying.

BSE Sensex lost over 550 points in intraday trade to hit the day's low of 84,219.39. It finally ended the session 151 points or 0.18% down at 84,628. Similarly, NSE barometer Nifty 50 tanked 150 points to its lowest intraday level of 25,810.05, but closed the day at 25,936 — a fall of 30 points or 0.11%.

While investors booked profits after a buying spree over the last few days, hopes of a US-China trade deal and the possibility of a Fed rate cut kept downside in check.

The broader markets outperformed, as the BSE Midcap index gained 0.12% and the BSE Smallcap pack added 0.06%.

10 key highlights from Indian stock market

Here are 10 key highlights from the stock market today:

1. Why did Sensex, Nifty fall today?

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments, said that the domestic market remained volatile in negative terrain and ended flat, weighed down by profit booking on monthly expiry and weak global cues.

“Despite this, the Metals sector gained on renewed optimism following China’s announcement to curb steel overcapacity and potential progress over US- US-China trade relations, while PSU banks outperformed amid reports of a potential increase in FII holding limits. Notably, buying interest emerged at lower levels, reflecting underlying investor confidence. Market sentiment is expected to be supported by easing global trade tensions and expectations of an upgrade in domestic corporate earnings, which continue to reinforce resilience,” Nair added.

2. Top Nifty 50 gainers

Twenty-one Nifty 50 stocks closed in the green today, with JSW Steel and Tata Steel rising the most. The metal stocks gained 2.82% each. SBI Life (up 1.62%), L&T (up 1.47%) and HDFC Life (up 1.32%) were among the other top gainers.

3. Top Nifty 50 losers

On the flip side, 29 stocks closed lower. Bajaj Finserv, with a 1.48% decline, was the worst performer. Trent, Coal India, Tech Mahindra and ONGC were other Nifty 50 stocks that ended deep in the red, losing over 1% each.

4. Sectoral snapshot — Metals, PSBs shine

Metals and PSU bank indices emerged as top sectoral winners, rising over 1.2% each. Meanwhile, Nifty IT lost the most, declining 0.74%. Nifty Auto and Nifty FMCG were also among the laggards. Nifty Bank eked out a gain of 0.17%.

5. Most active stocks

In terms of volume, Vodafone Idea remained the most active stock as 145.69 crore shares of the telecom firm changed hands. It was followed by Suzlon (13.44 crore shares), IDBI Bank (9.44 crore), Yes Bank (9.06 crore) and Tata Gold ETF (7.80 crore).

6. 4 stocks rise over 10%

On NSE, four stocks surged over 10% in today's trading session. CarTrade Tech was the best performer following a stellar Q2 performance where it posted an over 100% YoY rise in PAT. CarTrade Tech stock ended 15.67% higher.

Utkarsh RE shares rose 11.14%, while Davangere Sugar Company's stock rallied 10.79%. Newgen Software, too, was a lead gainer, rising 10.56% amid a strong Q2 report card.

7. 12 stocks fall over 6%

Delphi World Money RE was the top loser, shedding 40% of its value. Lypsa Gems & Jewellery, Epack Prefab Technologies, Bata India and PSP Projects were among other prominent names that emerged as top losers in today's trade.

8. Advance-decline ratio favours sellers

A total of 1,910 stocks advanced while 2,246 counters declined in trade on BSE today, favouring sellers. Overall, 176 stocks remained unchanged.

9. 57 stocks hit 52-week highs

Despite D-Street ending lower, 57 stocks touched 52-week highs, with names like Ab Capital, Bharti Airtel, Bank of India, Cummins India, DCB Bank, Federal Bank, Grasim, Hindalco, JSW Steel, Tata Steel and SBI achieving this feat.

10. Nifty 50 technical outlook

Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities, said that the market remained highly volatile on the NSE monthly F&O expiry day. However, the overall chart setup on the daily timeframe remains intact, with the Nifty trading well above the 21EMA, keeping the bullish bias intact, added the analyst.

"The RSI is in a bullish crossover and remains in the high momentum zone. In the short term, the index may witness a decent rally as momentum picks up above 26,000. On the higher end, resistance is seen at 26,300, while support is placed at 25,850," he opined.

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations expressed are those of individual analysts or broking firms, not Mint. We advise investors to consult with certified experts before making any investment decisions, as market conditions can change rapidly and circumstances may vary.