In a turbulent trading session marked by global volatility, Indian equity benchmarks closed sharply lower on Tuesday, snapping a two-day winning streak. Lingering uncertainties in international markets triggered intraday swings of over 1,300 points in the Sensex, with significant selling pressure in auto, IT, and FMCG sectors.
The BSE Sensex opened on a cautious note at 82,038.20, down from its previous close of 82,176.45. It briefly climbed to an intraday high of 82,410.52 before plunging to a low of 81,121.00, reflecting the day’s volatility. The benchmark ultimately settled at 81,551.63, recording a sharp decline of 624.82 points.
Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty also mirrored the weak sentiment, ending the day 174.95 points lower at 24,826.20. The decline pushed the index below the 24,850 mark, a psychological support level watched closely by traders.
Among the 30 constituents of the Sensex, only a handful managed to stay in the green. IndusInd Bank, Sun Pharma, Adani Ports, Nestle India, and Asian Paints emerged as the top performers, resisting the broader market weakness. On the flip side, heavyweights like UltraTech Cement, ITC, Tata Motors, Axis Bank, and NTPC led the losses. Currency markets were also under pressure, with the Indian rupee weakening by 27 paise to close at 85.37 against the US dollar.
In the commodities space, Brent crude held steady at $64.87 per barrel, while gold prices remained elevated, trading at $3,294 per ounce amid global risk aversion.
The sharp downturn comes amid a mixed bag of international signals — including concerns around interest rate movements, weak macro data, and geopolitical tensions — that have unsettled investor sentiment worldwide. Market participants are now eyeing upcoming domestic economic data and global central bank cues for direction.
