Indian stock markets ended Thursday’s session in negative territory as major indices remained under pressure throughout the day. The BSE Sensex closed at 81,263.84 points, down 262.30 points or 0.32%, while the NSE Nifty fell by 102.95 points or 0.42% to settle at 24,538.85.
Markets opened on a flat note, with investors showing caution ahead of domestic Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data and amid a weakening rupee. According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, the market continued to remain range-bound, with inflationary concerns lingering. “Although inflation is expected to decline, investors are closely watching vegetable prices, which could influence future rate trajectories,” Nair said.
Retail inflation in India stood at 6.21% in October, exceeding the Reserve Bank of India’s upper tolerance limit of 6%. Policymakers are striving to bring inflation closer to the 4% target, with food prices remaining a key challenge.
Meanwhile, the Nifty IT index reached new highs, supported by optimistic U.S. inflation data, which has raised hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut in the coming week.
Recent gains have helped recover some losses, but the Sensex remains about 4,500 points below its all-time high of 85,978 points. Persistent bearish trends have been attributed to fund outflows, weaker-than-expected corporate earnings in Q2, and stubbornly high inflation levels.
