Sensex slips 43 points, Nifty 50 ends above 26,170— 10 key highlights from the Indian stock market today

Frontline indices, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, ended flat on Tuesday, December 23, on profit booking at higher levels, even as mid and small-cap segments ended with modest gains amid mixed global cues. The Sensex ended with a minor loss of 43 points, or 0.05%, at 85,524.84, while the Nifty 50 closed 5 points, or 0.02%, up at 26,177.15. The BSE Midcap index inched up by 0.07%, and the Smallcap index rose by 0.38%.

Select heavyweights, such as Infosys, Bharti Airtel, and ICICI Bank, were among the top drags on the benchmarks, while HDFC Bank and ITC were among the key supports.

Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day

1. Why did the market benchmarks end flat?

Domestic market benchmarks ended flat on profit booking after rising over 1% over the last two sessions. Mixed global cues and lack of fresh triggers seem to have prompted investors to book some profit even as hopes prevail that the coming year will be better for the Indian stock market than the current year due to earnings growth, a potential India-US trade deal, and the return of foreign institutional investors (FIIs).

"The domestic market traded in a narrow range and ended flat amid mixed global cues. Investors are positioning for the next earnings season and monitoring evolving Fed policy expectations, as rate‑cut probabilities are slowly inching up for the January meeting," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, noted.

"While an improving domestic demand outlook provides underlying support, uncertainty around global trade negotiations and the trajectory of the rupee will continue to influence sentiment," said Nair.

2. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index

Coal India (up 3.73%), Shriram Finance (up 2.42%), and ITC (up 1.53%) ended as the top gainers in the index.

3. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index

Infosys (down 1.48%), Bharti Airtel (down 1.15%), and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (down 1.05%) ended as the top losers in the index.

4. Sectoral indices today

Among the sectoral indices, Nifty IT ended as the top loser, falling 0.80%. PSU Bank (down 0.34%), Pharma (down 0.23%), Healthcare (down 0.24%), and Consumer Durables (down 0.23%) also ended with losses.

On the other hand, Nifty Media (up 0.80%), Metal (up 0.54%), and FMCG (up 0.52%) closed with healthy gains.

Nifty Bank slipped 0.01% to 59,299.55.

5. Most active stocks in terms of volume

Vodafone Idea (100.6 crore shares), Jupiter Wagons (13.6 crore shares), and Belrise Industries (10.26 crore shares) were the most active stocks in terms of volume on the NSE.

6. 16 stocks jump more than 15% on BSE

Prism Johnson, Teamo Productions HQ, PEARL Polymers, Transwarranty Finance, Modi Rubber, Vivid Mercantile, Deccan Gold Mines, and Omaxe were among the 16 stocks that surged more than 15% on the BSE.

7. Advance-decline ratio

Out of 4,365 stocks traded on the BSE, 2,292 advanced, while 1,892 declined. Some 181 stocks remained unchanged.

8. Over 100 stocks hit 52-week highs

Maruti Suzuki India, Eicher Motors, and Shriram Finance were among the 107 stocks that hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade on the BSE.

9. 85 stocks hit 52-week lows

ACC, PC Jeweller, Sanofi India, Mrs. Bectors Food Specialities, and The Anup Engineering were among the 85 stocks that hit their 52-week lows on the BSE.

10. Nifty's technical outlook

According to Sudeep Shah, Vice President - Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities, the upside target for the Nifty is placed at 26,420 in the short term. While on the downside, the 20-day EMA zone of 26,000-25,950 will act as crucial support for the index.

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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.