Sensex falls 245 points, Nifty 50 ends below 25,700; mid, small-caps outperform— 10 key highlights from the stock market

Frontline indices, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, extended losses for the second consecutive session on Wednesday, January 14, as persisting uncertainty over an India-US trade deal, mixed Q3 earnings, and relentless foreign capital outflow continued to weigh on market sentiment.

The Sensex dropped 245 points, or 0.29%, to end at 83,382.71, while the Nifty 50 fell 67 points, or 0.26%, to settle at 25,665.60. The mid and small-cap segments outperformed. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices closed the day 0.16% and 0.25% higher, respectively.

Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day

1. What drove the Indian stock market down today?

The market is struggling due to persisting concerns over a delayed India-US trade deal, geopolitical risks, and foreign capital outflows. Mixed Q3 earnings so far have failed to boost market sentiment.

Investor focus is also on the US Supreme Court, which is expected to deliver its verdict on Trump's tariffs today, January 14.

"Domestic markets remained cautious amid lingering uncertainty over the India–US trade deal, with FIIs staying risk-averse. Broader markets performed well, given selective buying in mid- and small-cap segments. Looking ahead, focus will shift to Q3 FY26 earnings, where initial IT results were broadly in line with expectations, though bottom-line performance was impacted by one-off costs," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments, noted.

2. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index

Tata Steel (up 3.71%), NTPC (up 3.28%), and Axis Bank (up 2.93%) were the top gainers in the Nifty 50 index.

3. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index

Asian Paints (down 2.40%), TCS (down 2.15%), and Tata Consumer (down 1.72%) ended as the top losers.

4. Sectoral indices today

Nifty Metal (up 2.70%) and PSU Bank (up 2.13%) clocked solid gains even as most sectoral indices ended lower.

"Metals led the rally as prices climbed on expectations of U.S. Fed rate cuts, supported by softer inflation data and safe-haven demand amid geopolitical tensions," said Nair.

Nifty IT fell 1.08%, while Realty, Auto, and FMCG indices declined by over half a per cent each.

Nifty Bank ended flat, but the Financial Services index fell 0.31%.

5. Most active counters in terms of volume

Vodafone Idea (69.8 crore shares), Tata Silver Exchange Traded Fund (29.3 crore shares), and Nippon India Silver ETF (13.7 crore shares) were the most active counters in terms of volume on the NSE.

6. 12 stocks jump more than 15% on the BSE

Antelopus Selan Energy, Ucal, Diligent Media Corporation, Manaksia Aluminium Company, Shiva Mills, and S. M. Gold were among the 12 stocks that jumped more than 15% on the BSE, defying weak market sentiment.

On the other hand, ITCONS E-Solutions, Tilak Ventures, Avasara Finance- RE, and Yug Decor- RE1 were the four stocks that crashed more than 15% on the BSE.

7. Advance-decline ratio

Out of 4,344 stocks traded on the BSE, 1,960 advanced, while 2,219 declined. Some 165 stocks remained unchanged.

8. Nearly 90 stocks hit 52-week highs

As many as 88 stocks, including SBI, PNB, Axis Bank, Tata Steel, Vedanta, and Coal India, hit their 52-week highs on the BSE.

9. Over 220 stocks hit 52-week lows

As many as 222 stocks, including ITC, IRCTC, Dixon Technologies (India), Godrej Properties, and Tube Investments of India, hit their 52-week lows on the BSE.

10. Nifty's technical outlook

Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities, believes the intraday market texture is non-directional.

"On the higher side, above 25,800, the market could move up to 25,880-25,900. On the flip side, below 25,600, selling pressure is likely to accelerate. If it falls below this level, it could retest the levels of 25,500-25,450," said Chouhan.

Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities, highlighted that on the hourly chart, the index failed to move above the 21 EMA, indicating a prevailing weak trend.

De pointed out that the bearish crossover between the 21 EMA and the 50 EMA remains intact, reinforcing negative sentiment. The RSI has witnessed a breakdown from an upward consolidation, confirming a meaningful shift in momentum.

"In the short term, sentiment is likely to remain weak with potential for further downside. Support is placed at 25,600, below which a deeper correction may unfold. On the higher end, resistance is placed at 25,835," said De.

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