Benchmark domestic equity indices declined over 0.6 per cent today as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran strained a fragile ceasefire and rattled investor sentiment.
The Sensex slipped 516 points to close at 77 thousand and 328, and the Nifty lost 151 points to settle at 24 thousand and 176. Meanwhile, the broader market on the National Stock Exchange ended on a mixed note. The Midcap 100 dipped over 0.1 per cent, while the Small Cap 100 rose 0.2 per cent.
In the Sensex pack, shares of 16 out of 30 companies registered losses. Among the top underperformers, SBI shed 6.6 per cent, HDFC Bank dropped over 1.8 per cent, and Bajaj Finance fell by 1.8 per cent. In contrast, Titan jumped nearly 4.8 per cent, Asian Paints climbed 2.8 per cent and Adani Ports advanced by nearly 1.6 per cent.
In the sectoral indices at the BSE, 17 out of 25 sectors edged downward. Among the top losers, PSU Bank dropped 2.6 per cent, Top 10 bank index lost over one and a half per cent, and Financial Services dropped over 1.2 per cent. In the top gainers, Consumer Durables rose two per cent, Focused IT climbed 1.3 per cent, and IT, as well as Services, added 1.2 per cent. The overall market breadth at the BSE was negative, as shares of 2 thousand 148 companies declined, 2 thousand 68 advanced, and 190 remained unchanged.
