Indian equities ended sharply lower on 27 May as profit-booking in large-cap stocks and weak global cues weighed on market sentiment. The Sensex tumbled 625 points, or 0.76 percent, to close at 81,551.63, while the Nifty declined 175 points, or 0.70 percent, to settle at 24,826.20.
However, mid- and small-cap stocks continued to outperform, supported by steady retail inflows and optimism around earnings recovery in the upcoming quarters. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices edged up 0.18 percent and 0.19 percent, respectively.
The overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies fell by nearly ₹1 lakh-crore, slipping to ₹444 lakh crore from ₹445 lakh crore in the previous session.
"The market witnessed volatility and snapped a two-day winning streak, as investors opted for profit booking driven by valuation concerns and weakness across Asian markets," said Vinod Nair of Geojit Financial Services.
According to Nair, the Nifty’s failure to sustain above the 25,000 mark highlighted the absence of fresh positive triggers. Large-cap stocks bore the brunt of subdued foreign institutional investor (FII) participation and lacklustre earnings from blue-chip companies, he noted.
Conversely, the mid- and small-cap segments remained relatively resilient, aided by better-than-expected Q4 results and a cooling in premium valuations.
Market breadth was fairly balanced, with 1,412 stocks advancing and 1,462 declining on the NSE, while 81 remained unchanged. Over 100 stocks hit their upper circuits, while 51 stocks hit lower circuits, reflecting continued interest in specific pockets of the market.
Barring Nifty PSU Bank (+0.26 percent), Realty (+0.24 percent), and Pharma (+0.11 percent), all sectoral indices ended in the red. FMCG, IT, Auto, and Financial Services all fell more than 0.5 percent. Nifty Bank slipped 0.39 percent, and the Private Bank index dropped 0.46 percent.
Only 10 of the 50 Nifty constituents ended in positive territory. Among the top gainers were:
Jio Financial Services: +3.87 percent
IndusInd Bank: +2.61 percent
Trent: +0.80 percent
On the flip side, the major laggards included:
UltraTech Cement: –2.28 percent
JSW Steel: –2.02 percent
ITC: –1.85 percent
Among the most active stocks by volume on the NSE were Vodafone Idea (42.73 crore shares), Eternal (22.5 crore shares), and Reliance Power (16 crore shares).
Thirteen stocks, including Delta Manufacturing, Kronox Lab Sciences, Godavari Biorefineries, and Apollo Micro Systems, surged over 10 percent. Meanwhile, Rategain Travel Technologies, Cords Cable Industries, and Tracxn Technologies dropped between 9 and 10 percent.
A total of 89 stocks hit their 52-week highs on the BSE, including names like APL Apollo Tubes, Bharat Dynamics, and Eris Lifesciences. In contrast, 26 stocks, such as Containe Technologies and Borana Weaves, sank to 52-week lows.
While the indices faltered amid global uncertainty and profit booking, the underlying strength in the broader market points to selective optimism—especially in anticipation of a Q1FY26 earnings rebound. However, the inability of benchmarks to decisively break higher suggests markets may remain rangebound in the absence of fresh triggers.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)
