Nifty 50 Dips Below 25,000 Mark as Market Sentiment Wavers

Fresh waves of investor caution swept across Indian equities on Thursday, with the Nifty 50 index ending the session down 0.7 percent at 24,974.40 points. The index lost nearly 180 points from its previous close of 25,056.90, underscoring a risk-off mood ahead of key economic events and expiry pressures shaping trades for the day.

 

Key Highlights

 

- The Nifty 50 opened soft and remained pressured through the day, briefly striking an intraday high of 25,034.50 before retreating as fresh selling weighed on market breadth.

- Banking stocks, making up more than a fifth of index weight, tumbled as participants trimmed positions amid signs of profit-booking and global rate uncertainty.

- IT shares (holding more than 12 percent index weight) witnessed mild declines, tracking cautious global sentiment and concerns about slower growth in overseas markets.

- Energy stocks (contributing nearly 11 percent to the index) fell in response to volatile crude oil movements and shifting global demand narratives.

- FMCG and pharma stocks offered some support, holding up due to their defensive appeal and stable earnings outlook, but broader selling dominated sentiment.

- Foreign institutional investors continued net selling, deepening pressure across large caps and further amplifying F&O expiry volatility.

 

Top Movers

- Gains emerged for Hindalco Industries, climbing to 746.00 INR on the back of resilient sector demand.

- Nestle India and NTPC Ltd delivered modest upticks, while Tata Consumer Products closed higher at 1,145.00 INR.

- The session’s steepest laggards included Tata Motors, Asian Paints, and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories—all posting significant drops, dragging the headline index lower.

 

The Road Ahead

Today’s drop below 25,000 signals persistent caution among domestic and foreign investors, with analysts eyeing upcoming central bank statements and key inflation data for signs of a shift in momentum or risk appetite.

 

Source names: NSE India, Yahoo Finance, The Hindu BusinessLine, Moneycontrol, ET NOW, Investing.com