In a highly volatile trading session on Thursday, Indian benchmark equity indices witnessed a steep fall, weighed down by a confluence of negative factors including the weekly expiry of Nifty50 F&O contracts, rising geopolitical tension between the United States and Iran, elevated crude oil prices, and looming uncertainty over a key U.S. trade deal deadline.
The BSE Sensex plunged by 823.16 points or 1%, settling at 81,691.98, after hitting an intraday low of 81,523.16. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 broke below the psychological 25,000 mark to close at 24,888.20, down 253.20 points or 1.01%.
Broader Market in Deep Red
Broader market indices mirrored the weakness on the headline indices. The Nifty Midcap100 fell by 1.73%, while the Nifty Smallcap100 sank by 1.90%, as investor risk appetite weakened across the board.
Sectoral Wipeout
All sectoral indices on the National Stock Exchange closed in negative territory. The Nifty Realty index was the worst performer, dropping 2.02%, as major constituents such as Phoenix Mills, Godrej Properties, Anant Raj, DLF, Prestige, Sobha, Brigade, and Macrotech Developers declined by up to 3%.
Other notable sectoral losses included:
- Nifty Energy
- Consumer Durables
- Oil & Gas
- Auto
- PSU Banks
- FMCG
- Metals
- Financial Services
Each of these sectors shed more than 1%, underlining broad-based selling pressure.
Sensex Drags: Tata Motors, Titan Lead Losses
Out of the 30 constituents on the Sensex, 27 stocks ended in the red. Heavyweights such as Tata Motors, Titan, Power Grid, Tata Steel, L&T, and Mahindra & Mahindra led the decline, falling by over 2% each.
On the brighter side, Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints, and Tech Mahindra were the only gainers, offering some support to the otherwise weak market.
Volatility Surges
Reflecting growing nervousness among investors, the India VIX—a key gauge of market volatility—rose by 2.54% to settle at 14.01. This uptick indicates heightened uncertainty in the near term.
Market Outlook
With geopolitical risks and crude oil dynamics dominating the global narrative, coupled with the uncertainty over international trade policies, Indian markets are expected to remain volatile. Investors may prefer a cautious approach ahead of key domestic and global triggers.
