Equity markets ended nearly unchanged on Thursday where the BSE Sensex slipped marginally by about 27 points to close near 82,248, while the Nifty 50 added around 14 points to settle close to 25,496.
Markets opened on a strong note, tracking firm global cues. Asian markets traded higher and Wall Street posted gains overnight, which supported early buying interest. The Nifty briefly moved above the 25,500 mark in morning trade. However, profit booking at higher levels erased most gains as investors turned cautious in the absence of fresh domestic triggers.
Sectorally, public sector banks led the gains. Shares of State Bank of India advanced after positive brokerage commentary on liquidity and earnings outlook. The pharmaceutical index also rose over 1 percent as investors rotated toward defensive sectors amid global uncertainties.
On the downside, HDFC Bank declined nearly 1 percent, emerging as the biggest drag on the benchmarks due to its heavy weightage in both indices. The IT pack saw intraday buying following global tech strength but trimmed gains toward the close.
Broader markets showed resilience. Mid-cap stocks outperformed, while small-cap indices ended largely flat, indicating selective buying interest beyond frontline stocks.
Among individual stocks, Shaily Engineering gained after securing a ₹423-crore order, boosting investor sentiment. In contrast, Sanofi India declined following weaker quarterly earnings. Edtech player PhysicsWallah remained under pressure, trading below its IPO price after recent volatility.
In commodities, gold prices stayed firm near record levels on the Multi Commodity Exchange, supported by safe-haven demand. Silver saw mild profit booking after recent gains.
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