Equity benchmarks closed in the red on Thursday, with the Sensex slipping 0.27 per cent to 73,828.91 and the Nifty 50 dropping 0.33 per cent to 22,397.20. Despite positive economic indicators, the markets struggled to maintain momentum.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, noted that the global markets faced a hiccup due to a shortened trading week and a sell-off in the US short market. However, India showed resilience and healthy outperformance, albeit with a slight negative trend.
Among the top gainers were State Bank of India (SBIN) which gained 0.67 per cent, closing at ₹727.75, followed by ICICI Bank which rose 0.62 per cent to ₹1,250.25. NTPC also saw a gain of 0.48 per cent, settling at ₹331.70, while Sun Pharma and Tata Steel added 0.45 per cent and 0.37 per cent respectively.
On the other hand, Zomato was the biggest loser, dropping 1.97 per cent to ₹201.40, followed by Tata Motors which slipped 1.95 per cent to ₹655.40. IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, and Bajaj Finance also closed lower.
The market saw selling pressure in auto and financial stocks, while banking and power stocks provided some support.
Overall, the day ended with a mix of gains and losses, reflecting the ongoing market volatility and global uncertainties.