The domestic stock market closed flat on Thursday as mixed performances across sectors influenced trading sentiment.
Selling pressure was observed in key sectors such as IT, FMCG, metals, media, and private banks, keeping the indices largely unchanged.
Adani Ports led the gainers, with its stock surging over 5% to ₹1,243.90. Meanwhile, Adani Green Energy saw a rise of ₹33.20, closing at ₹1,064.30 per share.
The Sensex marginally dipped by 0.39 points, settling at 78,472.48, while the Nifty edged up by 22.55 points, or 0.10%, to close at 23,750.20.
The Nifty Bank index ended lower, losing 62.30 points (0.12%) to finish at 51,170.70.
In contrast, the Nifty Midcap 100 gained 67.80 points (0.12%) to close at 57,125.70, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 dropped slightly by 4 points (0.02%) to end at 18,728.65.
On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), 1,639 shares advanced, while 2,329 declined, with 106 shares remaining unchanged.
Market Overview and Sectoral Performance
Market experts attributed the flat performance to the expiry of futures and options (F&O) contracts, as well as the absence of significant domestic or global cues, with many international markets on holiday.
Gains were seen in the auto sector following recent corrections, while other sectors like PSU banks, financial services, pharma, realty, and energy also witnessed buying activity.
Among the top gainers in the Sensex pack were Adani Ports, M&M, Maruti Suzuki, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, Kotak Mahindra Bank, UltraTech Cement, Power Grid, HCL Tech, SBI, and Tata Steel. On the losing side, Titan, Asian Paints, Zomato, Tech Mahindra, Nestle India, and Reliance recorded declines.
Expert Insights
“Concerns over foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, the depreciating rupee, and the strengthening US dollar index are keeping the market cautious. There are also ongoing worries about potential tariffs and the lack of clarity on rate cuts in 2025,” an expert commented.
On December 24, FIIs sold equities worth Rs. 2,454.21 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased equities amounting to Rs. 2,819.25 crore.
(With an input from IANS)
