Indian benchmark indices ended mixed on Thursday, with the Sensex gaining 113.61 points while the Nifty 50 declined 40.10 points, as investors remained cautious amid geopolitical uncertainty, elevated crude oil prices and uneven sectoral trends.
The BSE Sensex closed at 78,079.96, gaining 113.61 points, or 0.15%. The Nifty 50 settled at 24,395.85, down 40.10 points, or 0.16%. The Nifty ended below the psychologically important 24,400 mark and extended its losing streak to three sessions.
The trading session remained volatile as investors weighed domestic economic signals against concerns from global markets. Buying interest in selected consumer, automobile and FMCG stocks helped the Sensex recover, while weakness in metals, banks and other heavyweight stocks kept the Nifty under pressure.
Among the top Nifty gainers, Tata Consumer Products emerged as the strongest performer, rising around 2.7%. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles also gained nearly 2%, while Hindustan Unilever, NTPC and Shriram Finance advanced more than 1% each.
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles remained in focus following a strong quarterly performance and an optimistic outlook for demand. Investors also took comfort from expectations of continued growth across passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles.
The performance of Tata Group stocks was closely watched after a sharp sell-off in the previous session following the announcement that N Chandrasekaran would not seek another term as chairman of Tata Sons when his current tenure ends in February 2027.
On Thursday, however, several Tata stocks stabilised. Tata Consumer Products emerged as the biggest Nifty gainer, while Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles also attracted buying interest.
On the losing side, UltraTech Cement, Grasim Industries and Hindalco Industries were among the prominent laggards. Weakness in metal stocks was particularly visible, with the Nifty Metal index declining around 1%.
Hindalco and other metal companies faced pressure as investors remained concerned about global commodity prices, demand conditions and the broader international economic outlook. Grasim, which has significant exposure to the metals and cement-related sectors through its businesses, also came under selling pressure.
Banking stocks were another drag on the market. The Nifty Private Bank index declined around 0.5%, while the Nifty Bank index also ended lower. ICICI Bank was among the stocks weighing on the broader market.
The weakness in banks and metals offset gains in consumer-facing companies, automobiles and selected technology stocks, resulting in a divergence between the Sensex and Nifty.
Sectoral performance remained mixed. The Nifty Realty index was among the better performers, gaining close to 1%. Auto, FMCG, IT, media and consumer durable stocks also recorded gains. In contrast, metal, private banking and some pharmaceutical stocks remained under pressure.
Global developments continued to influence investor sentiment. Crude oil prices remained elevated amid uncertainty surrounding the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude traded around the $87-$88 per barrel range, keeping concerns alive over India’s import bill and inflation.
India imports a large portion of its crude oil requirements, making sustained increases in global oil prices a key risk for the domestic economy. Higher crude prices can raise transportation and input costs for companies and put pressure on inflation and the country’s current account balance.
Geopolitical uncertainty has therefore become an important factor for investors. Any further disruption around key energy routes could push crude prices higher and increase volatility across global equity markets.
At the same time, investors found some comfort in recent inflation data from India and the US. Softer inflation readings have supported expectations that central banks may not need to maintain an aggressively restrictive monetary policy stance.
Foreign fund flows remained another concern. Foreign institutional investors have continued to sell Indian equities, reflecting caution over valuations, global interest rates and geopolitical risks. Persistent foreign selling has added pressure to large-cap stocks even as domestic investors have continued to provide support.
The broader market showed greater resilience than the headline indices. Mid-cap and small-cap stocks remained relatively firm, with several stocks witnessing buying interest despite the weakness in the Nifty.
Market breadth was also fairly balanced, suggesting that Thursday’s decline in the Nifty did not represent a broad-based sell-off across the entire market. Instead, pressure was concentrated in selected heavyweight sectors.
The Nifty’s inability to reclaim 24,400 remains a concern for investors watching near-term market momentum. The index has struggled to sustain gains above the 24,500 level in recent sessions, while the Sensex has shown comparatively better resilience.
For the moment, the market remains caught between domestic support from selected sectors and external risks stemming from oil prices and geopolitical tensions. Thursday’s mixed finish reflected that uncertainty, with the Sensex managing a modest gain while the Nifty remained below 24,400.