Benchmark indices mitigated early losses by midday on Friday, with the Sensex trading at 84,326.27, reflecting a decrease of 152.40 points or 0.18% from its prior close of 84,478.67. Meanwhile, the Nifty stood at 25,833.10, down 46.05 points or 0.18% from 25,879.15.
The indices opened markedly lower, with the Sensex starting at 84,060.14 and the Nifty at 25,767.90, but managed to recover some ground during the morning session, which was characterized by weakness in IT stocks and strength in selected energy and pharmaceutical sectors.
Market breadth remained slightly negative, with 1,930 stocks advancing against 2,016 decliners on the BSE, while 202 stocks remained unchanged. A total of 4,148 stocks were traded, with 97 stocks reaching 52-week highs and 119 hitting 52-week lows. Additionally, 153 stocks were locked in the upper circuit, while 165 hit the lower circuit.
Infosys was the leading laggard on the Nifty, falling 2.60% to ₹1,501.70, continuing its morning decline. Eicher Motors saw a drop of 2.39% to ₹6,691.00, while Tata Steel declined by 1.77% to ₹173.53. Tata Motors fell by 1.50% to ₹392.00, and JSW Steel decreased by 1.40% to ₹1,167.30.
On the positive side, ONGC led the gainers with a 1.69% increase to ₹249.00, followed by Adani Enterprises, which rose by 1.62% to ₹2,528.50. Jio Financial Services advanced by 1.35% to ₹314.90, while Axis Bank increased by 1.24% to ₹1,240.40. Sun Pharma contributed a 1.05% rise to ₹1,755.70.
Broader indices exhibited mixed trends. The Nifty Midcap 100 gained 0.11% to 60,742.25, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 outperformed with a rise of 0.48% to 18,272.20. The Nifty Bank decreased by 0.08% to 58,328.65, and Nifty Financial Services edged down by 0.05% to 27,371.10. The Nifty Next 50 remained nearly flat, showing a marginal gain of 0.03% at 69,846.35.
Traders exercised caution amid global uncertainties and mixed signals from U.S. markets, with ongoing Bihar election results contributing to near-term volatility.
