Mumbai– Indian equity benchmarks ended marginally lower on Thursday, as investor sentiment remained subdued amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, fluctuating crude oil prices, and uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed reciprocal tariffs.
The BSE Sensex declined by 82.79 points, or 0.10 percent, to close at 81,361.87, after trading between an intraday high of 81,583.94 and a low of 81,191.04. The NSE Nifty 50 also slipped, ending 18.80 points, or 0.08 percent, lower at 24,793.25.
Global uncertainty intensified after the U.S. Federal Reserve opted to keep interest rates unchanged at 4.25 to 4.5 percent, while signaling persistent inflationary pressure and slowing growth.
“The Indian equity indices remained rangebound with a negative bias as global caution grew over the potential for U.S. involvement in Middle East conflicts,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services. He added that the Fed’s policy stance also dampened investor confidence, particularly in IT and export-oriented sectors.
Among the top laggards on the Sensex were Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, and Nestle India, with losses ranging from 2.50 percent to 1.28 percent.
On the upside, Mahindra & Mahindra, Titan Company, Maruti Suzuki India, Bharti Airtel, and Larsen & Toubro posted gains of 0.32 to 1.57 percent.
Broader market indices reflected broader weakness. The Nifty Midcap 100 dropped 1.63 percent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 shed 1.99 percent, signaling sustained pressure on mid- and small-cap stocks.
Among sectoral indices, Nifty Auto stood out as the lone gainer, rising 0.52 percent. In contrast, Nifty PSU Bank was the worst-performing sector, falling 2.04 percent. Nifty Metal, Media, and Realty indices also slipped more than 1 percent each.
The Indian rupee extended its losing streak for a third straight day, pressured by geopolitical instability and the Fed’s hawkish tone.
“We expect the rupee to remain under pressure in the near term. The USD/INR pair could move toward the 87–87.50 range,” said Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst at HDFC Securities.
Gold traded within a narrow and volatile range. On the international Comex platform, prices fluctuated between $3,347 and $3,375, while MCX gold traded between ₹98,650 and ₹99,450. (Source: IANS)
