Sensex, Nifty end lower amid volatile trade

Indian stock markets ended lower on Tuesday after a volatile trading session, as investors booked profits in select sectors and adopted a cautious approach. The Sensex slipped 150.68 points, or 0.18 per cent, to close at 84,628.16, while the Nifty declined 29.85 points, or 0.11 per cent, to settle at 25,936.20. Within the Sensex pack, Trent, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Tech, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Bajaj Finance were among the top laggards.
Meanwhile, Tata Steel, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), State Bank of India, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the key gainers, helping limit the market’s losses. Broader market indices showed minimal movement, with the Nifty MidCap index edging down 0.02 per cent and the Nifty SmallCap index rising marginally by 0.02 per cent.
Among the sectoral indices, Nifty Metal and PSU Bank were the notable gainers, each advancing over 1 per cent. On the other hand, Nifty Realty was the biggest loser of the day, followed by IT, Energy, Financial Services, FMCG, Pharma, and Consumer Durables, which all ended in the red.
Analysts said the decline was driven by profit booking after recent market highs and a cautious mood among investors ahead of key global and domestic economic data releases. “The domestic market remained volatile in negative terrain and ended flat, weighed down by profit booking on monthly expiry and weak global cues,” experts noted.