Market snaps 3 day winning run, Nifty below 25,350 ahead of Budget'26

The domestic share market indices snapped 3-day winning and ended lower with Nifty below 25,350 on Friday,amid cautious investor sentiment ahead of the Union Budget scheduled for Sunday, February 1.At close, the Sensex was down 296.59 points or 0.36 percent at 82,269.78, and the Nifty was down 98.25 points or 0.39 percent at 25,320.65. About 2319 shares advanced, 1716 shares declined, and 149 shares unchanged.
Tata Consumer, Apollo Hospitals, Nestle, M&M, ITC were the top gainers on the Nifty, while losers included Hindalco, Tata Steel, Coal India, ONGC, ICICI Bank.On the sectoral front,metal index shed 5%, oil & gas, Bank, IT, Energy shed 0.5-1%, while pharma, media, consumer durables, FMCG rose 0.7-1.8%.Nifty Midcap index fell 0.2%, while smallcap index added 0.3%.

#Sensex and Nifty slip as metal and IT stocks drag markets, with investors turning cautious ahead of the Union Budget 2026 announcement. pic.twitter.com/qJQ76zYNmZ

— newsinc24 (@newsinc24) January 30, 2026

Rupee Close:
On 30 Jan'26,the Indian rupee slipped to its record low in the closing minutes of trading on Friday, capping ⁠its worst month since September 2022, as persistent foreign outflows and firm corporate dollar demand kept the currency under strain. The rupee fell 2.3% in January and hit ‌a record ‌low of 91.99 against the US dollar on Friday, according to information.
Trading Guide:
Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments stated,Indian equity markets remained volatile ahead of the Union Budget, with benchmark indices dragged lower by weakness in IT and metal stocks. The IT sector lagged due to global growth concerns and higher U.S. bond yields, while gold and silver declined amid a stronger dollar. Persistent FII selling and continued rupee depreciation kept market sentiment cautious.With geopolitical risks and global tariff pressures rising, the Union Budget is keenly awaited for cues on growth support and fiscal discipline. Globally, although a deal to avert the latest U.S. government shutdown provided temporary relief, markets remain watchful ahead of the appointment of a new Fed Chair, as a more hawkish stance could tighten liquidity and weigh on emerging markets.
Market experts recommended to buy eight shares on Friday-MCX, Karur Vysya Bank, Union Bank of India, BSE, Bharti Airtel, Hero Motocorp, Samvardhana Motherson, and Torrent Power.

(Business Correspondent)