Indian equity markets ended lower on Tuesday as investors booked profits after recent record highs. The BSE Sensex dropped 503.6 points, closing at 85,138.3, while the Nifty 50 fell 143.6 points to settle at 26,032.2.
Markets had opened on a positive note but quickly reversed as weakness in banking, metals, and oil & gas sectors weighed on investor sentiment. Profit-taking in blue-chip stocks and a sharp rupee decline, which touched ₹89.85 against the US dollar, added pressure.
Among the Sensex constituents, major laggards included HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Reliance Industries, which dragged the indices lower. On the upside, Asian Paints, Bharti Airtel, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, SBI Life Insurance, and Maruti Suzuki registered modest gains, providing some support to the broader market.
Sectoral performance reflected broad-based weakness. Banking and financial stocks led the losses, while midcap and smallcap indices fell about 0.5–0.6 %, indicating cautious trading across market segments.
Analysts said the market’s decline is more a pause than a reversal, with key support levels for Nifty around the 20-day moving average. Investors are advised to focus on fundamentally strong stocks while remaining cautious on overvalued names.
Looking ahead, domestic markets will track cues from the Reserve Bank of India’s policy stance and global developments. For now, consolidation and selective trading dominate investor strategy.
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