Sensex, Nifty 50 snap three-day winning run ahead of Union Budget 2026— 10 key highlights

Stock market today: Indian stock market benchmarks, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, snapped their three-session winning streak to end in the red on Friday, January 30, on profit booking ahead of the Union Budget 2026 on Sunday, February 1.

The Sensex ended the day with a loss of 297 points, or 0.36%, at 82,269.78, while the Nifty 50 settled at 25,320.65, down 98 points, or 0.39%.

The mid and small-cap segments, however, outperformed. While the BSE 150 MidCap Index ended with a minor loss of 0.09%, the BSE 250 SmallCap Index soared 1.25%, bucking the trend.

For the week, both the Sensex and the Nifty 50 rose by a per cent. However, on a monthly scale, both the key indices crashed more than 3% each and extended losses to the second consecutive month.

10 key highlights from the Indian stock market today

1. Why did the Indian stock market fall today?

The losses in the benchmarks can be attributed to profit booking in select heavyweights ahead of the mega event- the Union Budget 2026.

ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Tata Steel, Infosys, and Kotak Mahindra Bank ended among the top drags on the Sensex index.

While the Budget is expected to remain pro-growth, speculations that there may not be major announcements to boost consumption are keeping investors cautious.

Geopolitical uncertainties, FII selling, mixed earnings, and the Indian rupee's weakness remain additional factors that continue weighing on market sentiment.

The rupee hit a record low of 91.98 per dollar on Friday, falling 2.3% in January.

"Indian equity markets remained volatile ahead of the Union Budget, with benchmark indices dragged lower by weakness in IT and metal stocks. The IT sector lagged due to global growth concerns and higher U.S. bond yields, while gold and silver declined amid a stronger dollar," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, noted.

"Persistent FII selling and continued rupee depreciation kept market sentiment cautious. With geopolitical risks and global tariff pressures rising, the Union Budget is keenly awaited for cues on growth support and fiscal discipline," said Nair.

2. Top Nifty 50 gainers

Nestle India (up 3.46%), Tata Consumer (up 2.24%), and Apollo Hospitals Enterprise (up 2.19%) ended as the top gainers.

3. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index

Hindalco Industries (down 5.98%), Tata Steel (down 4.81%), and Coal India (down 3.46%) ended as the top losers in the index.

4. Sectoral indices today

Among the sectoral indices, Nifty Metal crashed 5.21%, followed by IT (down 1.03%), Private Bank (down 0.63%), and Oil & Gas (down 0.53%).

Nifty Bank fell 0.58% to end at 59,610, while the Financial Services index ended 0.65% lower.

On the other hand, Media, FMCG, and Consumer Durables rose over 1% each. Auto, Realty, and Pharma rose by almost 1% each.

5. Most active counters in terms of volume

Vodafone Idea (173 crore shares), Tata Silver Exchange Traded Fund (88.4 crore shares), and Tata Gold Exchange Traded Fund (74 crore shares) were the most active counters in terms of volume on the NSE.

6. Advance-decline ratio

The advance-decline ratio remained in favour of advancers as over 2,400 stocks advanced while over 1,700 declined on the BSE.

7. 12 stocks jump over 15%

Tokyo Plast International, Raymond Realty, and Paras Petrofils were among the 12 stocks that jumped more than 15% on the BSE.

8. Nearly 80 stocks hit 52-week highs

Some 78 stocks, including SBI, Axis Bank, Shriram Finance, and Nestle India, hit their 52-week highs on the BSE.

9. 291 stocks hit 52-week lows

As many as 291 stocks, including ITC, Dixon Technologies (India), and Colgate Palmolive (India), hit their 52-week lows in intraday trade on the BSE.

10. Nifty's technical outlook

According to Shrikant Chouhan, Head- Equity Research, Kotak Securities, as long as the market trades above 25,200, a positive sentiment is likely to continue.

"On the higher side, the market could move up to 25,500. Further upside may also extend, potentially lifting the index up to 25,600-25,675. On the flip side, if the market falls below 25,200, weakness is likely to increase. In such a case, we could see a quick intraday dip down to 25,000-24,900," said Chouhan.

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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.