The markets opened on a subdued note on Thursday, with benchmark indices trading in a narrow range as investors remained cautious amid mixed global signals and the absence of strong domestic cues. The BSE Sensex was largely flat in early trade, while the Nifty50 slipped below the 25,850 mark, reflecting muted sentiment on Dalal Street.
At the opening bell, selling pressure was visible in the auto sector, which emerged as the key drag on the benchmarks. Shares of Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra declined, pulling the auto index lower. Weakness was also seen in select pharma stocks, with Sun Pharma among the early losers. Other stocks trading in the red included Tata Steel, NTPC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and SBI Life Insurance, adding to the cautious tone.
However, losses were partly capped by gains in select banking and IT stocks. State Bank of India (SBI) opened higher, while IT majors Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tech Mahindra traded with modest gains. Shriram Finance also saw early buying interest, providing some stability to the benchmarks.
Broader markets showed a softer trend, with mid-cap and small-cap stocks under pressure, indicating risk-averse positioning by investors at the start of the session. Market participants continued to track global market movements, foreign fund flows, and upcoming macroeconomic cues for direction.
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