Sensex fell 582 points while Nifty slipped below the crucial 25,600 level.
Midcap and smallcap stocks underperformed as the volatility index jumped over 8%.
FII selling continued while DIIs supported markets with strong net buying.
The Indian stock market today, on January 12, showed bearish momentum. Both Sensex and Nifty witnessed sharp declines at press time. The dip comes amid concerns over US tariff policies and persistent foreign institutional selling. Market sentiment remained weak as rising volatility and cautious global cues discouraged fresh buying in frontline and broader-market stocks. Here’s what happened in the stock market today, in detail, based on Moneycontrol Live Updates.
BSE Sensex was trading at 82,994.21, down 582.03 points or 0.70 % at press time. Nifty 50 declined 166.40 points or 0.65 % to 25,516.90. The broader market showed even more weakness. BSE Midcap index fell 0.8 %, and Smallcap index dropped 1.76 %. India VIX, which measures market volatility, jumped over 8 %, showing rising nervousness among traders.
Most sectoral indices traded in the negative zone. Nifty Pharma index led the declines, falling 1.44 %. Major losers included Divis Labs, which was down 3.65 %, Ipca Labs lost 3.57 %, and Laurus Labs declined 2.83 %.
Nifty Media index dropped 1.82 %, its third straight day of losses. Saregama India fell 3.56 %, while PVR INOX shares declined 2.88 %. The Nifty Realty index also extended its fall for the fifth consecutive day, shedding 1.11 %. DLF was down 2.56 %, and Prestige Estates fell 2.22 %.
The Auto sector witnessed pressure as well, with BSE Auto index slipping nearly 1 %. Tube Investment led the declines with a 3.23 % drop, followed by UNO Minda, down 2.14 % and Bosch falling 1.75 %.
Among the most active shares on NSE were Hindustan Copper, BSE, and HDFC Bank. BHEL shares also stayed in focus, dropping 5.40 % to trade at Rs. 259.45.
HDFC Bank share price was at Rs. 931.40, down 0.81 %, with trading volumes of Rs. 604.02 crore. On the other hand, ICICI Bank showed some resilience. The stock was trading at Rs. 1,406.10, up marginally by 0.13 %.
Avenue Supermarts, which operates the DMart retail chain, posted strong quarterly results. The company's Q3 profit jumped 18.3 % to Rs. 855.9 crore versus Rs. 723.7 crore year-on-year. Revenue grew 13.3 % to Rs. 18,100.88 crore. The stock traded at Rs. 3,879.65, up 1.96 %.
Lemon Tree Hotels' stock rose on the announcement of the Warburg Pincus acquisition. The company would be taking over the 41.09 % equity stake held by APG Strategic Real Estate Pool NV in its subsidiary, Fleur Hotels. The stock jumped 2.97 % to Rs. 154.15.
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) stock reported impressive Q3 numbers. The PSU’s profit spiked 37.6 % to Rs. 585.2 crore. The stock gained 2.23 % to trade at Rs. 139.70.
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Maruti Suzuki stock was trading at Rs. 16,392.60, down 0.66 %. The company’s board approved acquiring and for the expansion of production capacity at Khoraj Industrial Estate from the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation.
Shriram Finance's share price was down marginally by 0.37 % to Rs. 971.45. Although the company received positive news today. Moody's Ratings affirmed its Ba1 long-term corporate family rating with a revised outlook to ‘positive’ from ‘stable’.
Indian rupee traded nearly flat at 90.17 per dollar versus January 9’s close of 90.16. Thus, showing stability after weeks of downward spiral, despite today’s stock market weakness.
Gold prices surged to a record high, with spot gold rising over 1 % to hit an all-time high of $4,563.61 per ounce. This rally was driven by safe-haven demand amid geopolitical risks and expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net sellers for the fourth straight session on January 9. They offloaded Indian equities worth Rs. 3,769.31 crore. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) offered strong support, net buying shares worth Rs. 5,595.84 crore.
For January so far, FIIs have net sold equities worth Rs. 11,783 crore. Meanwhile, DIIs have bought Rs. 17,902 crore, helping to cushion the market decline.
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Market experts suggest Indian stock market today showed clear signs of consolidation after recent losses. Nifty needs to hold the 25,500-25,600 support zone to prevent further downside. All eyes are now on quarterly earnings from major IT companies like TCS and HCL Technologies for the next directional cue. Analysts also believe sustained DII support and stability in global markets will be key for restoring investor confidence in the near term.
1. Why did the Indian stock market fall today?
Indian stock market has experienced a decline today as a result of ongoing foreign selling of Indian equities, general uncertainty concerning tariffs, and increased volatility in the markets. The Indian markets were also affected by low global cues and cautiousness before the release of major earnings reports.
2. How did Sensex and Nifty perform today?
Sensex was down approximately 580 points, while Nifty had fallen approximately 166 points. Therefore, this was the fifth straight day of declines and a continued increasing trend in selling pressure throughout multiple sectors of the market.
3. Which sectors saw the biggest losses today?
The biggest drop today was seen by pharma, media, real estate, and auto stocks due to greater than expected weak earnings guidance and profit-taking on both large and mid-cap stocks.
4. What role did FIIs and DIIs play in today’s market?
Foreign Institutional Investors, or FIIs, continued to sell off Indian equities, thus resulting in additional selling pressure on the market. Domestic Institutional Investors, or DIIs, supported the market by being net buyers and assisting in limiting the extent of the market decline during the trading session.
5. What should investors watch next in the market?
To be prepared for the next potential support zone of the Nifty, investors should consider tracking the current support zone of 25,500 to 25,600, an upcoming earnings report for the IT sector, and global market cues for direction and guidance in the near future.
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