Sensex, Nifty 50 fall 1%; investors lose ₹6 lakh crore— 10 key highlights from Indian stock market today

Extending losses to the third consecutive session, Indian stock market benchmarks- the Sensex and the Nifty 50- closed with significant losses of over a per cent each on Tuesday, May 20, amid mixed global cues and growing concerns over stretched valuations.

The Sensex closed 873 points, or 1.06 per cent, lower at 81,186.44, while the Nifty 50 settled with a loss of 262 points, or 1.05 per cent, at 24,683.90.

The selloff was broad-based as the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices closed with losses of 1.65 per cent and 0.96 per cent, respectively.

The cumulative market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms dropped to nearly ₹438 lakh crore from nearly ₹444 lakh crore in the previous session, making investors poorer by about ₹6 lakh crore in a single session.

Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day

Here are 10 key highlights from the stock market today:

1. Why did the Sensex, Nifty 50 fall?

A confluence of factors, such as slow progress on India-US trade deal, stretched valuations, mixed earnings, lack of fresh positive triggers and concerns over the health of world's largest economy- the US- weighs on market sentiment.

"With the lack of major positive triggers and prevailing uncertainty over US fiscal stability, investors opted for profit-booking and adopted a cautious stance," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments.

"Selling pressure was widespread as participants awaited more clarity on the India-US trade agreement. Given the current premium valuations and delays in the trade deal, we foresee a phase of short-term consolidation, which may lead FIIs to scale back their positions in the domestic market," Nair said.

2. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index today

Shares of Coal India (up 1.55 per cent), Tata Steel (up 1.28 per cent), and Hindalco Industries (up 1.16 per cent) ended as the top gainers in the Nifty 50 index.

3. Top losers in the Nifty pack

As many as 42 stocks ended in the red in the Nifty 50 index. Eternal (down 4.21 per cent), Hero MotoCorp (down 3.16 per cent) and Bajaj Auto (down 2.84 per cent) closed as the top losers.

4. Sectoral indices today

All sectoral indices ended with losses, with the Nifty Auto falling over 2 per cent. FMCG, Media, Pharma, Private Bank and Realty indices declined over a per cent each.

Nifty Bank fell 1 per cent, while the Financial Services index crashed 1.2 per cent.

5. Most active stocks in terms of volume

Vodafone Idea (86.52 crore shares), Easy Trip Planners (20.87 crore shares), and YES Bank (11.60 crore shares) were the most active stocks in terms of volume on the NSE.

6. Seven stocks jump more than 15% on NSE

Tatva Chintan Pharma, Alkali Metals, Kapston Services and Honda India Power Products were among the seven stocks that surged more than 15 per cent on the NSE.

7. One stock crash more than 15%

Ganesh Benzoplast (down 15.09 per cent) was the only stock that crashed more than 15 per cent on the NSE.

8. Over 100 stocks hit upper circuits; 55 stocks hit lower circuits

As many as 117 stocks, including Newgen Software Technologies, Zen Technologies, KPI Green Energy and Raymond, hit their upper circuits in intraday trade on the NSE.

On the flip side, Unitech, Kore Digital and Parin Enterprises, were among the 55 stocks that hit their lower circuits on the NSE during the session.

9. Advance-decline ratio

As many as 915 stocks advanced, while 1,974 declined and 80 remained unchanged on the NSE.

10. Over 80 stocks hit their 52-week highs

Shree Cement, Dalmia Bharat and APL Apollo Tubes were among the 82 stocks that hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade on the BSE.

On the other hand, Aether Industries and Jai Balaji Industries were among the 29 stocks that hit their 52-week lows in intraday trade on the BSE.

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