Mumbai– Indian stock markets closed lower on Friday as investors opted to book profits following a strong rally in recent sessions.
Both key benchmark indices—Sensex and Nifty—ended the week in the red.
The BSE Sensex declined by 200.15 points, or 0.24%, to settle at 82,330.59. In intraday trade, the index fluctuated between a high of 82,514.81 and a low of 82,146.95.
The NSE Nifty also slipped, falling 42.30 points, or 0.17%, to close at 25,019.80. After Thursday’s rally, the index consolidated and took a breather.
“Indicators continue to signal strength in the short term. Any dip is likely to attract buying interest, with key support levels at 25,000 and 24,800,” said Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities. “A decisive move above 25,120 could push the index toward 25,250 or even 25,350.”
Despite the slight pullback in the headline indices, broader market performance remained strong.
Mid-cap and small-cap stocks outperformed, with the Nifty Smallcap100 advancing 1.86% and the Nifty Midcap100 rising 0.94%.
Among the top gainers on the Sensex were Eternal (formerly Zomato), Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, ITC, and IndusInd Bank, which gained between 0.60% and 1.20%.
Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel, HCL Technologies, State Bank of India, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra led the losses, falling between 0.79% and 2.76%.
Sectoral performance was mixed on the NSE. Indices such as Nifty IT, Metal, Pharma, and Healthcare ended in negative territory, with losses of up to 0.84%.
On the positive side, Nifty Realty emerged as the best-performing sector, closing with a 1.6% gain.
Market volatility eased slightly, with the India VIX—the country’s benchmark volatility index—declining 2.02% to 16.55, indicating a minor dip in market uncertainty.
“After a strong run-up in previous sessions, the market mood was broadly cautious, with investors choosing to take some profits off the table,” analysts noted.
In the currency market, the Indian rupee ended marginally stronger at 85.51 against the U.S. dollar, compared to Thursday’s close of 85.54.
Looking ahead, Dilip Parmar of HDFC Securities said the USD-INR spot rate is likely to find support around 84.90 and face resistance near 85.94. (Source: IANS)
