Sensex falls 346 pts, Nifty below 25,950 amid volatility

The domestic share market ended on a negative note on Monday, extending the fall to third consecutive session, amid broad-based selling due to persistent foreign fund outflows, and geopolitical developments.At close, the Sensex was down 345.91 points or 0.41 percent at 84,695.54, and the Nifty was down 100.20 points or 0.38 percent at 25,942.10.
Tata Steel, Tata Consumer, Asian Paints, Grasim Industries, Nestle India were the top gainers on the Nifty, while losers included HCL Technologies, Adani Ports, Power Grid Corp, Trent, Max Healthcare.On the sectoral front,except media, all other indices ended lower with auto, IT, pharma, realty, power down between 0.4-0.9 percent.BSE Midcap index shed 0.4 percent and smallcap index down 0.5%.
Rupee Close:
On 29 Dec'25,the Indian rupee depreciated eight paise to close at 89.98  against the U.S. dollar on Monday, weighed down by foreign fund outflows and a negative trend in domestic equities.Forex traders said persistent capital withdrawals from foreign investors, alongside heightened dollar demand from importers, dented investor sentiments.
Trading Guide:
Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments stated,the market appears short on catalysts for further upside, with investors largely in holiday mode, signalling a potential consolidation phase in the near term. While the outlook for 2026 remains constructive, attention is expected to shift toward upcoming Q3 earnings and clarity on the U.S. trade agreement.In an environment of global trade anxiety and a weakening rupee, investors are likely to favour large-cap stocks for their relative safety and stronger earnings visibility.
Market experts recommended five shares to buy on Monday- NBCC, Karur Vysya Bank, Engineers India, IRCTC, CCI

(Business Correspondent)