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Nifty 50 slipped below the 24,950 mark and Sensex lost over 500 points, with banking and financial stocks driving today’s market decline.
Pharmaceutical and defence sectors showed resilience, with Divis Labs, Sun Pharma, and DCX Systems posting notable gains despite overall market weakness.
Institutional flows remained volatile, with FIIs turning buyers after a session of heavy selling, while DIIs continued to provide strong support to equities.
Indian stock market today shows bearish signals as major benchmark indices trade under heavy selling pressure. Nifty 50 slipped below the key 24,950 mark, losing nearly 150 points at press time. At the same time, Sensex dropped 518 points to settle around 81,482.
The downward move reflected broad-based weakness across multiple sectors, with the banking index emerging as the worst performer. The advance-decline ratio also turned negative, signaling broad participation in the selloff. Let’s delve into why the stock market is down today based on real-time information from Moneycontrol Live Updates.
Banking stocks were at the center of today’s correction, with Nifty Bank index falling nearly 500 points. HDFC Bank share price dropped 1.21% to ₹1,967.20 amid strong trading volumes of over ₹1,078 crore. Similarly, ICICI Bank shares slipped 0.42% to ₹1,439.90. ICICI Lombard was among the steepest losers of the day, declining 2.70% to ₹1,914. These moves highlight investor caution toward financials as markets approach the derivatives expiry week.
In contrast to the weakness in financials, pharmaceutical shares offered support to the market. The Nifty Pharma index gained 0.4% for a second straight session. Divis Labs led the rally with a 2.26% rise to ₹6,164.50, while Sun Pharma added 0.63% and Mankind Pharma advanced 0.66%. Analysts point out that defensive buying in pharma has helped cushion broader losses during this volatile phase.
Defence stocks extended gains as geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated. Nifty India Defence Index rose nearly 1%, with DCX Systems soaring 10.5% to ₹275.50. Solar Industries and Zen Technologies gained around 2% each, while state-owned giants like HAL and BEL also posted healthy advances of about 1%. Rising global demand for defence equipment is expected to support these stocks in the near term.
Also Read: HDFC Bank Share Price Drops to Rs. 1,962.10, Down 1.46% Amid Volatility
Oil & Gas stocks came under pressure, with Reliance Industries slipping 0.73% and IOC losing 0.71%. Meanwhile, Zee Entertainment staged a rebound, gaining 4.7% to ₹122.55, while Sula Vineyards registered its strongest performance in 10 weeks, rising 3.9% on heavy volumes.
Among Nifty 50 stocks, Bharat Electronics led the gainers with a 1.04% rise, followed by M&M and Maruti Suzuki, which posted modest gains. On the losing side, ICICI Lombard, Motherson, and Bharat Forge witnessed sharp declines of more than 2%, dragging the index further into the red.
Investment activity reflected a mixed trend. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned net buyers on August 21, with inflows worth ₹1,246 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) added ₹2,546 crore. The prior session, however, had seen FIIs offloading over ₹1,100 crore, indicating a volatile pattern in foreign flows.
On the corporate front, Wipro announced its acquisition of Harman’s Digital Transformation Solutions business, strengthening its engineering R&D vertical. R Systems International also confirmed an acquisition of Novigo Solutions for ₹400 crore on its official website. Separately, Vedanta declared a second interim dividend of ₹16 per share for FY26, amounting to ₹6,256 crore as reported by NDTV Profit.
Today’s decline highlights investor caution amid weakness in banking stocks, global uncertainties, and profit booking after recent gains. From a technical perspective, Nifty’s breach of 24,950 marks a key support breakdown. Analysts see the next support around 24,800-24,900, while resistance lies in the 25,100-25,200 range. Going forward, market direction will depend on global cues, institutional flows, and sectoral resilience, particularly in pharma and defence.
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1. What is the current situation of the stock market today?
The Indian stock market closed sharply lower today, with Nifty 50 slipping below the crucial 24,950 mark and Sensex losing over 500 points. Banking and financials dragged indices, while pharma and defence sectors provided limited support. Institutional flows showed a mixed pattern.
2. Is the Indian stock market open today?
Yes, the Indian stock market was open for trading today and witnessed significant volatility. Both benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, ended in the red. Regular trading hours were followed, and sectoral performance varied sharply with financials under pressure and defensives showing strength.
3. Why is the market falling suddenly?
The market fell due to a combination of factors: weakness in banking stocks ahead of derivatives expiry, global geopolitical tensions, and profit booking after recent highs. Investor sentiment turned cautious, leading to broad-based selling across major sectors, particularly financials.
4. Will the market open on Diwali?
Yes, Indian stock exchanges remain open on Diwali for a special “Muhurat Trading” session, considered auspicious for investments. However, it lasts for only an hour in the evening. Regular trading does not take place, and schedules are announced in advance by exchanges.
5. Which sectors are performing better despite today’s market decline?
Despite overall weakness, pharmaceutical and defence sectors showed resilience. Pharma stocks like Divis Labs and Sun Pharma gained on defensive buying, while defence counters rallied on geopolitical concerns. These sectors cushioned some of the losses and provided selective investment opportunities.
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