Indian stock markets ended the last trading session of the current financial year (FY25) on a lower side amid a volatile day. With this, the Sensex and Nifty gained over 5 per cent each in FY25.
Sensex dropped 191.51 points, or 0.25 per cent, to close at 77,414.92, while the Nifty slipped 72.60 points, or 0.31 per cent, to settle at 23,519.35.
Despite the weak intra-day session, both benchmark indices recorded gains for the full financial year. The Sensex gained more than 5.11 per cent while Nifty gained 5.34 per cent this fiscal.
Indian stock markets will remain closed on Monday (March 31), due to Eid festivities and trading will resume on Tuesday (April 1).
The midcap and smallcap segments outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap100 rising 5.4 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap100 climbing 7.48 per cent during the fiscal.
“Recent sessions mark a rebound from earlier declines, fuelled by renewed buying from the FIIs, who have injected over 30,000 crore in the last few trading days, shifting to net buyers,” said Krishna Appala of Capitalmind Research.
Appala added that domestic DIIs have also played a role, with a mix of net buying and selling shaping market dynamics.
Market sentiment remained weak as more stocks declined than advanced, with 2,399 shares in the red against 1,454 gainers, while 116 stocks remained unchanged.
Wipro, IndusInd Bank, Shriram Finance, Cipla, and M&M were among the top losers in the session. On the other hand, stocks like Tata Consumer, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Apollo Hospitals, ONGC, and ICICI Bank registered gains.
Sector-wise, most indices ended in the red except for FMCG and oil & gas, which managed to stay positive. IT, auto, realty, and media stocks were among the worst performers, falling between 1-2 per cent.
The broader market also witnessed selling pressure. The BSE Midcap index declined by 0.7 per cent, while the Smallcap index fell 0.4 per cent.
The India VIX, also known as the fear index, rose by 4.37 percent to settle at 12.72 points on Friday, indicating increased market volatility.
Indian stock markets will remain closed on Monday (March 31), due to Eid festivities. Trading will resume on Tuesday (April 1).
In the currency market, the Indian rupee showed some strength, ending 32 paise higher at 85.46 per US dollar, compared to Thursday’s closing value of 85.78.
“Looking ahead, positive FII cues are likely to sustain the upbeat sentiment for the rupee,” said Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities.
Gold prices continued to trade higher in the spot market as tariff concerns persisted, keeping buying interest intact. The price range for gold remains elevated between Rs 87,500- Rs 89,750, said experts.
Rupee rallied sharply by 0.30rs to 85.45, driven by a strong FII inflow of Rs 11,111 crore, which boosted sentiment and supported rupee buyers.
(IANS)
