Equity benchmark indices remained in negative territory as investors grappled with a lack of positive developments and external pressures. The overall market sentiment was dampened following the release of US jobs data, which did not offer clearer guidance on the prospects for a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.
At 12:50 PM, the Sensex had lost 135.98 points, or 0.16%, trading at 85,496.70 after an intraday decline of 414 points. Similarly, the Nifty 50 fell by 29.95 points, or 0.11%, to 26,162.20, experiencing a total drop of 118 points during the session. Both indices had reached a 52-week high in the previous trading day.
Additionally, Nifty midcap and smallcap indices saw a decline of 0.7%. Sector performance showed that all indices, except those for auto and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), traded negatively. Notably, the realty and metals sectors each reported losses exceeding 1%.
In terms of performance within the Nifty 50, shares of Maruti, Mahindra & Mahindra, InterGlobe Aviation, Eicher Motors, and Max Healthcare were among the top gainers. Conversely, major laggards included Hindalco, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, JSW Steel, and HCL Technologies.
Market breadth illustrated a weak sentiment in equities; of the 3,034 stocks traded on the National Stock Exchange, only 858 advanced while 2,088 declined, with 88 remaining unchanged. A mere 38 stocks reached their 52-week highs, while 150 fell to new 52-week lows. Furthermore, 52 stocks hit the upper circuit limit while 51 stocks fell to the lower circuit, indicating increased volatility across the broader market.
Within the midcap index, IndusInd Bank, GMR Airports, Biocon, Mphasis, and Federal Bank experienced marginal gains of up to 2%. In contrast, Vishal Mega Mart, Bharti Hexacom, Swiggy, Coforge, and Tube Investments saw declines ranging from 2% to 3%.
In the smallcap segment, stocks like Five-Star, Ramco Cements, PGEL, CreditAccess, and CESC gained between 2% and 4%, while Zen Tech, HBL Engineering, NBCC, Hindustan Copper, GRSE, and Star Health depreciated by over 2% to 3%.
This report is published on November 21, 2025.
