Indian equity markets ended Friday on a cautious note, with both benchmark indices posting sharp declines amid weak global sentiment and persistent selling pressure. The BSE Sensex dropped nearly 961 points to close at 81,287, while the NSE Nifty 50 fell over 317 points to 25,178, testing key support levels.
The market sell-off was broad-based. Banking, metals, automobile and FMCG stocks were the biggest losers. Top decliners included Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki, HDFC Bank and Larsen & Toubro, which saw notable losses. In contrast, a few IT and media stocks recorded modest gains, with Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) among the top performers.
Traders pointed to weak international markets and subdued global technology shares as primary triggers for the drop. Continued foreign institutional investor (FII) selling also weighed on domestic equities, contributing to capital outflows.
Geopolitical concerns, including ongoing US-Iran diplomatic tensions, added to investor caution. Despite some stability in energy stocks such as NTPC and Reliance Industries, overall sentiment remained risk-averse.
Analysts noted that this decline capped a week of sideways-to-negative trading, with investors remaining cautious due to global uncertainties and a lack of domestic triggers to spur fresh buying.
Looking ahead, participants will closely watch global developments and upcoming domestic economic data to gauge whether markets can stabilize or face further pressure in the coming sessions.
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