Indian equity markets end Muhurat trading session on muted note

Indian benchmark equity indices ended the special Muhurat Trading session on a subdued note on Sunday, with losses in banking and information technology stocks weighing on investor sentiment at the start of Samvat 2083. Despite an initial uptick, the frontline indices failed to sustain their gains, with the Nifty slipping below the crucial 25,000 mark.At close,the Sensex declined 28.62 points, or 0.04 per cent, to settle at 80,999.40, while the Nifty fell 43.95 points, or 0.18 per cent,at 24,986.40.The Nifty touched an intra-day high of 25,132 during the session before giving up its gains and moving below the 25,000 level. The Sensex also witnessed considerable volatility, swinging between an intra-day high of 81,442 and a low of 80,932 before closing nearly 29 points lower.
Among the Nifty constituents, SBI Life Insurance, InterGlobe Aviation and Bharti Airtel were among the biggest losers. On the other hand, Sun Pharma and Tata Steel emerged as notable gainers, providing some support to the market, according to agency reports.
On the sectoral note, pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks led the gains, with Nifty Pharma and Nifty Healthcare emerging as the top-performing indices. Banking stocks remained under pressure, with Nifty Bank and Nifty Private Bank registering the sharpest declines.The broader market displayed greater resilience, outperforming the benchmark indices. The Nifty MidCap 100 advanced 0.13 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index gained 0.94 per cent, indicating relatively stronger buying interest in mid- and small-cap stocks.
Looking ahead, market experts maintained a constructive outlook for Samvat 2083, although they expect returns to remain moderate and stock-specific. Corporate earnings growth is likely to play a more significant role in determining market direction than further valuation expansion. Investors are therefore expected to focus increasingly on earnings visibility, business fundamentals and companies with sustainable growth prospects.Muhurat Trading is a special, shortened trading session conducted annually on Diwali. Coinciding with Lakshmi Puja, the auspicious session is traditionally observed by investors as a symbol of prosperity and marks the beginning of Vikram Samvat, the Hindu financial year.

(Business Correspondent)