Indices close subdued amid lack of major market triggers

Nifty 50 closed nearly flat at 25,280, up 1.15 points

MUMBAI: Benchmark indices BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 closed Tuesday’s trading session on a muted note, as subdued sentiment and a lack of major triggers kept the markets rangebound.

The indices remained in the red for most of the day, with investors awaiting key U.S. data releases, including manufacturing data later in the day and jobs data due on Friday, to gauge the potential size of the upcoming interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

In the domestic market, the BSE Sensex, which struggled to stay positive throughout the day, ended with a minor loss of 4.40 points, or 0.01 per cent, to close at 82,555.

However, the Nifty 50 managed to inch up by 1.15 points, extending its streak of closing in the green to 14 consecutive sessions. The index closed nearly flat at 25,280.

Ended higher

Of the 50 stocks in the Nifty 50, 21 ended higher.

Leading the gains were SBI Life, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, HDFC Life, and Hero MotoCorp, with gains of up to 1.72%. On the other hand, Bajaj Finance, ONGC, Infosys, Adani Ports & SEZ, and HCLTech were the top losers, falling up to 1.36% by the close.

In the BSE Sensex, 12 of the 30 stocks ended in the green. ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Titan, HDFC Bank, and Nestle India led the gains, while Bajaj Finance, Infosys, Adani Ports & SEZ, JSW Steel, and HCLTech recorded the biggest losses.

Broader market indices

Despite the tepid performance of the frontline indices, the broader market indices outperformed, with the BSE SmallCap index rising by 0.54% and the BSE MidCap index gaining 0.19%.

Across sectors, the Consumer Durables index emerged as the top sectoral gainer, followed by Bank and Financial Services. Meanwhile, the Media index was the top laggard, trailed by Metal, Realty, and Oil & Gas sectors.