Equity benchmark indices continued their downward trend on Thursday, impacted by ongoing foreign fund withdrawals and concerns regarding a potential increase in US H-1B visa fees, which dampened investor confidence.
HSBC has projected that the Sensex will reach 85,130 by the end of 2025 and 94,000 by the end of 2026, signifying a possible upside of 13.2% from current levels.
As of 1:03 PM, the Sensex was down by 216.67 points, or 0.27%, trading at 81,498.96 after recording an intraday low of 81,392.95. The Nifty 50 also fell 68.25 points, or 0.27%, settling at 24,988.65.
The midcap index decreased by 0.09%, while the smallcap index slipped by 0.15%. Most sectors were in the red, with the real estate sector experiencing the most significant decline of over 1%. Other sectors such as IT, automotive, FMCG, and pharmaceuticals also saw losses, while the metal, oil & gas, and banking sectors showed resilience.
Top Gainers and Losers
Within the Sensex firms, notable gainers included Bharat Electronics, Hindalco, Axis Bank, ONGC, and Sun Pharma. Conversely, Tata Motors, Asian Paints, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Trent, and TCS were among the largest decliners.
A total of 4,147 stocks were traded on the BSE by 12:55 PM, with 1,621 advancing, 2,346 declining, and 180 remaining unchanged. Notably, 117 stocks, including Lumax Industries, achieved 52-week highs, while 79, such as Ganesha Ecosphere, reached 52-week lows.
Additionally, 194 stocks were locked in the upper circuit, and 146 stocks hit the lower circuit, indicating a mixed but cautious market sentiment.
Midcap and Smallcap Movers
In the midcap segment, Cochin Shipyard, Oil India, Vodafone Idea, ATGL, Glenmark, and Yes Bank saw gains between 1.5% and 3%. On the downside, Aditya Birla Fashion, Ola Electric, Escorts, Astral, and Kalyan Jewellers experienced declines of 2% to 3%.
Smallcap stocks such as Hindustan Copper and Newgen surged by 5% to 6%. Other gainers included Aegis Logistics, Aster DM Healthcare, Data Patterns, Kaynes Technology, and CreditAccess, which rose nearly 2%.
Stocks such as Sonata Software, RK Forge, Welspun Living, Godigit, Afcons, and Manappuram saw declines in the range of 2% to 3%.
On the BSE, stocks like Solara, KIOCL, and Inox Green climbed between 5% and 7%, while Sudarshan Chemicals, Tata Investment, Heritage Foods, KSCL, and Edelweiss fell by about 4%.
Published on September 25, 2025.
