Stock Market Closing Bell: The Indian stock market closed sharply lower on Monday as a combination of weak global cues, pressure in broader markets, and heavy selling in select sectors dragged indices into the red.
The Sensex ended 609 points lower at 85,102.69, while the Nifty 50 slipped 225.90 points to close at 25,960.55, marking a decline of 0.86 per cent.
Market breadth remained weak, with midcap and smallcap indices facing deeper cuts.
The day began with volatility, but selling intensified in the second half after global markets turned negative. European indices were trading firmly in the red, and US futures were largely muted — Dow futures slipped 9 points while Nasdaq futures held marginally positive.
Crude oil dropped below $64 per barrel, signalling global demand concerns, while the rupee weakened by 19 paise, adding further pressure on domestic sentiment.
Analysts also pointed to derivatives data showing aggressive call writing and reduced long positions, which contributed to the sharp intraday fall. Broader indices saw steeper declines, with the Nifty Smallcap 50 falling 2.70 per cent and the Nifty Next 50 slipping 2.05 per cent.
Sector Snapshot
Almost all major sectoral indices closed in the red. Nifty Realty fell the most, down 3.53 per cent, followed by Nifty PSU Bank (-2.81 per cent), Nifty Media (-2.73 per cent), and the Nifty Smallcap indices, which dropped between 2–2.7 per cent.
Metal, Pharma, FMCG and Auto sectors also witnessed selling. Nifty IT was relatively resilient, ending just 0.29 per cent lower as stocks like Tech Mahindra managed to hold gains.
Top Gainers
A handful of large-cap stocks held firm despite the market-wide pressure. Tech Mahindra rose 1.32 per cent, emerging as the top performer in the Nifty 50. A few IT names, such as TCS and HCL Tec,h showed marginal resilience, closing with very small declines compared to the rest of the market.
Top Losers
Most index heavyweights closed sharply lower; BEL plunged 4.88 per cent, leading the losers’ list. Trent, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, Adani Ports, SBI, Power Grid, Axis Bank, and M&M fell between 1.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Selling was widespread in banks, autos, capital goods and consumer-facing sectors.