Stock Market Today: Sensex Rises 124 Points, Nifty at 24,538 as Markets Recover from Recent Lows

Overview

• Sensex climbed 124 points to 80,205, while Nifty advanced 37 points to 24,538 as investors showed cautious optimism amid volatile trading conditions.

• Nifty Banking surged 0.27% with recovery momentum, while Nifty IT declined 0.11% facing continued pressure.

• Despite mixed sectoral performance, financial services and retail stocks provided strong support with Shriram Finance (+2.63%), Trent (+1.94%), and ITC (+1.46%) leading the charge.

Indian stock market today, on August 29, 2025, displayed resilience, recovering from recent lows despite volatile trading conditions. At press time, BSE Sensex gained 124.11 points (+0.15%) to settle at 80,204.68. Nifty 50 index climbed 37.05 points (+0.15%) to 24,537.95.

The recovery came after four consecutive sessions of decline, where Nifty had lost nearly 600 points. Market participants remained cautious as the index hovers around key technical levels, particularly the 78.6% retracement level at 24,512 from the August rally. Trading volumes remained elevated with mixed investor sentiment as institutional activity showed contrasting patterns between foreign and domestic players. Let’s explore how different sectors and stocks behaved today based on Moneycontrol Live market data. 

Sectoral Performance: Banking Leads Recovery, IT Under Pressure

Nifty Bank index gained 144.20 points (+0.27%) to 53,964.55. This recovery provided much-needed support after recent weakness, with private sector banks leading the charge.

Among individual banking stocks, RBL Bank stood out with exceptional performance, surging 5.94% to Rs. 265.75 on trading volumes worth Rs. 1,064.61 crore. Hence, making it one of the most actively traded stocks of the day. Kotak Mahindra Bank share price snapped its six-day losing streak, advancing 1.33% to Rs. 1,972.

On the other hand, the technology sector continued to face headwinds, with Nifty IT declining 38.70 points (-0.11%) to 35,450.05. Major IT companies including Infosys (-0.98%), Tech Mahindra, and Persistent Systems led the sector's decline.

Top Performers: Consumer and Financial Stocks Shine

Shriram Finance stock emerged as the day's biggest gainer on the Nifty 50, climbing 2.63% to Rs. 586.70. The non-banking financial company's strong performance reflected renewed investor confidence in the lending sector.

Trent, the retail arm of the Tata Group, continued its impressive run with a 1.94% gain to Rs. 5,337. The surge highlighted the strength in organized retail and consumer discretionary spending. Other notable gainers included Bharat Electronics (+1.61%), ITC (+1.46%), and UltraTech Cement (+1.40%), showcasing broad-based strength across different sectors.

Major Losers: Auto and Pharma Face Pressure

Mahindra & Mahindra shares emerged as the session's biggest loser. The stock extended its decline for the fourth consecutive day with a 2.08% drop to Rs. 3,226.70. The auto major traded with higher volumes at 139,030 shares compared to its five-day average, indicating sustained selling pressure. Apollo Hospitals (-0.83%) and Nestle (-0.77%) also featured among the top losers. The broader Nifty Auto index fell over 1%, losing approximately 300 points as automotive stocks faced sector-specific pressures.

Also Read: Reliance Infra Share Price Rises 2.92% to Rs. 274.85 Amid Market Volatility

Corporate Developments and News Flow

Several significant corporate announcements influenced individual stock movements during the session:

Adani Power received a Letter of Award for a 2,400 MW greenfield thermal power plant in Bihar from Bihar State Power Generation Company, as reported by NDTV. It is a huge capacity addition for the company.

NTPC approved the transfer of its Rs. 7,735 crores coal mining business, according to The Economic Times report. The transfer is made to the company’s wholly owned subsidiary NTPC Mining, streamlining its operations structure.

ICICI Bank made key management changes, appointing Anish Madhavan as Group Chief Compliance Officer, according to Business Standard. Mr. Madhavan will be replacing Subir Saha, who took early retirement.

Ola Electric Mobility share price surged nearly 20% over the week following PLI certification for its Gen 3 scooter portfolio. The stock gained 5% intraday to Rs. 57.50.

Institutional Activity: Mixed Signals from FII and DII

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their selling spree, recording net outflows of Rs. 3,856.51 crore on August 28, 2025. This marked another session of sustained foreign selling pressure. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) provided strong support with net purchases worth Rs. 6,920.34 crore, indicating continued confidence among local institutional players despite market volatility. The FII-DII divergence has been a consistent theme, with domestic institutions stepping in to absorb foreign selling pressure and provide market stability.

Broader Market Performance

The broader market indices showed mixed performance, with BSE Smallcap gaining 0.35% to 51,781.36, outperforming the main indices. However, both Nifty Midcap and Nifty Smallcap indices struggled in the stock market today.

The advance-decline ratio on NSE stood at 1683:929, indicating that advancing stocks significantly outnumbered declining ones. Hence, suggesting broad-based participation in the recovery. Market breadth improved compared to recent sessions, with more stocks participating in the upward movement across various market capitalizations.

Key Events and Technical Levels

The market's attention today was particularly focused on Reliance Industries' Annual General Meeting scheduled for 2 PM. The stock showed a sharp intraday recovery on Thursday ahead of the meeting, indicating investor optimism about potential announcements.

From a technical perspective, the Nifty's position around the crucial 24,512 level remains critical. This represents the 78.6% retracement of the recent rally, making it a key support zone for further market direction. For Nifty 50, immediate resistance lies at 24,600-24,650, while support is at 24,450-24,500. A decisive break above resistance could signal renewed bullish momentum.

Market Outlook 

The recovery from recent lows provides some relief to investors.  However, the sustainability of this bounce remains questionable given the volatile global environment. The banking sector's recovery is encouraging, but broader market participation across all sectors will be crucial for sustaining the upward momentum. Investors should closely monitor global cues, domestic corporate earnings, and policy developments as key drivers for future market movements.

Also Read: Stock Market Today: Sensex Falls 261 Points, Nifty at 24,647 Amid Trump Tariff Fears

FAQs

1. Why did the Indian stock market recover today?
The Indian stock market recovered today primarily due to buying support from domestic institutional investors and a technical bounce from oversold levels. After declining for four consecutive sessions, the market found support around crucial technical levels. Banking stocks led the recovery with renewed institutional interest, while stock-specific positive news flow also supported sentiment.

2. Which sectors performed the best in today's trading session?
Banking emerged as the top-performing sector with Nifty Bank gaining 0.27%, led by RBL Bank (+5.94%) and Kotak Mahindra Bank (+1.33%). Consumer stocks also showed strength with Trent (+1.94%) and ITC (+1.46%) performing well. The BSE Smallcap index outperformed with a 0.35% gain, indicating broad-based participation in smaller companies.

3. Which stocks faced the most pressure today?
Mahindra & Mahindra was the biggest loser, falling 2.08% and extending its decline for the fourth consecutive day. The auto sector faced broad pressure with Nifty Auto falling over 1%. IT stocks including Infosys (-0.98%) continued to struggle, while Nestle (-0.77%) and Apollo Hospitals (-0.83%) also declined.

4. How did institutional investors behave in today's session?
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued selling with net outflows of Rs. 3,856.51 crore, maintaining their recent trend. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) provided strong support with net purchases of Rs. 6,920.34 crore. This divergence shows local confidence despite foreign selling pressure.

5. What are the key technical levels to watch for the markets?
For Nifty 50, immediate resistance is at 24,600-24,650, while support lies at 24,450-24,500. The crucial level of 24,512 represents the 78.6% retracement from recent highs. For Sensex, resistance is around 80,400-80,500, with support at 80,000-80,100. A sustained move above resistance levels could signal renewed bullish momentum.