Indian equity markets extended their bearish momentum for a fifth consecutive session on Thursday, weighed down by profit booking, persistent foreign fund outflows, and selling pressure in IT stocks. The Sensex closed at 81,159.68, down 555.95 points or 0.68 per cent, after hitting an intraday low of 81,092.89. It began the session under pressure at 81,574.31, against the previous close of 81,715.63. The Nifty 50 ended at 24,890.85, down 166.05 points or 0.66 per cent.
“Indian markets extended their losing streak for a fifth straight session as investors booked profits amid persistent FII outflows and uncertainty over US-India trade talks, which may impact Q2 GDP growth,” said a market analyst. Broad-based selling was observed across major sectors, including auto, IT, pharma, and healthcare, while metals managed to gain on the back of China’s liquidity measures and concerns over copper supply.
Among Sensex constituents, companies such as Trent, PowerGrid, Tata Motors, TCS, Asian Paints, NTPC, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj FinServ, Mahindra & Mahindra, HCL Tech, Titan, Kotak Bank, Tech Mahindra, L&T, SBI, and Ultratech Cement ended in negative territory, whereas BEL, Axis Bank, and Bharti Airtel closed higher. Sectoral indices reflected the widespread selling pressure, with Nifty Auto, Nifty FMCG, Nifty IT, Nifty Financial Services, and Nifty Bank all closing lower. Broader market indices also followed suit, as Nifty Next 50, Nifty 100, Nifty Midcap 100, and Nifty Small Cap 100 declined.
Investor sentiment remained cautious ahead of India’s H2 FY26 borrowing programme and key US macroeconomic data expected later this week, which could influence market direction in the near term.
-IANS
