Indian equity benchmarks ended almost unchanged on Tuesday, December 30, as investors stayed cautious amid the absence of strong domestic triggers and mixed global signals. Stock-specific moves dominated trade, keeping the broader market range-bound ahead of the December quarter earnings season.
The Sensex closed at 84,675.08, down 20 points or 0.02 percent, while the Nifty 50 slipped 3 points, or 0.01 percent, to settle at 25,938.85. The BSE Midcap index edged down 0.05 percent and the Smallcap index fell 0.20 percent.
Gains in select heavyweights such as Mahindra and Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank and SBI were offset by losses in Infosys, Eternal and Reliance Industries.
1. Why markets ended flat
Markets traded in a narrow range on the monthly F&O expiry day. A firmer rupee supported sentiment, but investors preferred selective buying and profit-booking ahead of the Q3 results season. Caution also prevailed as traders awaited clarity on India–US trade talks.
The rupee strengthened 19 paise to close at 89.78 against the dollar.
2. Market mood remains cautious
According to Vinod Nair of Geojit Investments, supportive global cues and selective value buying were offset by persistent FII outflows, keeping sentiment muted despite currency support.
3. Top gainers on Nifty
Bajaj Auto rose 2.32 percent, Hindalco Industries gained 2.12 percent, and Shriram Finance advanced 2 percent.
4. Top losers on Nifty
Eternal slipped 2.21 percent, Eicher Motors fell 1.92 percent, and Tata Consumer Products declined 1.79 percent. In all, 28 Nifty stocks ended in the red.
5. Sectoral performance
Sectoral indices closed mixed. Nifty Metal jumped 2 percent, while PSU Bank and Auto indices rose 1.69 percent and 1.08 percent, respectively.
Nifty Bank added 0.41 percent to close at 59,171.25.
6. Weak sectors
Nifty Realty fell 0.84 percent, Consumer Durables declined 0.81 percent, and the IT index slipped 0.74 percent.
7. Most active stocks by volume
Vodafone Idea (67.4 crore shares), YES Bank (26.7 crore shares) and Tata Silver ETF (22.9 crore shares) saw the highest volumes on the NSE.
8. Sharp movers on the BSE
As many as 11 stocks jumped more than 15 percent on the BSE, including Orient Technologies, NRB Industrial Bearings and Orient Ceratech.
9. Market breadth and 52-week levels
On the BSE, 1,918 stocks advanced, 2,260 declined and 169 remained unchanged.
Around 108 stocks hit 52-week highs, while 195 stocks touched fresh 52-week lows during intraday trade.
10. Nifty technical outlook
Rupak De of LKP Securities said the Nifty has slipped below key short-term indicators, signalling weakness. Immediate support lies in the 25,850–25,870 zone, with resistance near 26,000.
Sudeep Shah of SBI Securities added that a sustained break below 25,800 could drag the index towards 25,650 and 25,500, while 26,000–26,050 remains a strong resistance zone.
Overall, the market is expected to remain sideways in the near term as investors await clearer signals from earnings and global developments.
