MUMBAI, Maharashtra — Indian benchmark equity indices closed lower on Wednesday for the third consecutive session as rising geopolitical tensions kept investors on edge and triggered selling across several key sectors.
The Sensex ended the session at 81,909.63, down 270.84 points, or 0.33 percent. The Nifty slipped 75 points, or 0.3 percent, to settle at 25,157.5.
“A sustained break below 25,130 could reopen downside toward 24,920–24,900,” a market expert said.
“At this stage, price action reflects consolidation after exhaustion, not a confirmed trend reversal, with the index posting its fourth consecutive weak close,” the analyst added.
Heavy selling pressure weighed on several large-cap stocks, with ICICI Bank, Trent, Bharat Electronics, Axis Bank, and Larsen & Toubro emerging as the top drags on the Sensex.
Some buying interest helped cap sharper losses, with stocks such as Eternal, UltraTech Cement, Adani Ports, and IndiGo trading in positive territory.
Sectorally, chemical stocks saw the steepest decline, as the Nifty Chemical index dropped 2.12 percent. Nifty Consumer Durables fell 1.66 percent, while the Nifty Bank index closed 1.02 percent lower.
Metal and oil and gas stocks showed relative resilience. The Nifty Metal index rose 0.57 percent, and the oil and gas index gained 0.27 percent.
Broader markets also remained under pressure. The Nifty MidCap 100 index declined 1.14 percent, while the Nifty SmallCap index ended 0.9 percent lower.
Meanwhile, the rupee traded weak below 91.60 against the dollar, down nearly 0.7 percent. Market participants cited escalating geopolitical tensions involving Europe and Greenland, fresh concerns over potential US tariff actions, and the absence of a confirmed India–US trade agreement as factors weighing on sentiment.
“A sharp rally in bullion prices has further pressured the rupee by inflating the import bill. The currency is likely to remain volatile in a broad range of 90.90–92 in the near term,” an expert said. (Source: IANS)
