Stock Market Today: Sensex Slips 270 Pts, Nifty Below 26,000; Hindustan Copper Jumps 7%

Overview

• Sensex declined by 270 points, and Nifty broke the level of 26,000.

• Metal stocks gained over 1% as IT and power stocks pulled down the markets.

• FIIs sold 317 crore, whereas DIIs bought 1,772 crore, which restrained the losses.

Indian benchmark indices started the day with strength, but by late morning trade on Monday, December 29, 2025, went into red zone. Resilience was seen in metal stocks, whereas IT and power made way for a fall in the market.

In the stock market today, at press time, Sensex was trading at 84,771, down by around 270 points, or a fall of 0.32%. Nifty was seen below the crucial 26,000 mark at 25,972 levels, down by around 69 points or a fall of 0.27%.

The broader market continued to remain weak, with more stocks falling than advancing. Around 967 stocks have advanced, while 1,817 stocks have fallen on the NSE. It indicates the negative bias in the Indian market on the current trading day. Here’s how individual stocks performed today based on Moneycontrol Live Updates. 

Sectoral Performance

Metal stocks were the largest gainers in the stock market today, and BSE Metal index was up by 1.39%. It has extended its winning run for the eighth straight day. Metal leader Tata Steel's share price led the rally, with a gain of 2.28%. ONGC stock followed with a gain of 1.5%. SAIL and Vedanta were up by 3.85% and 1.37%, respectively.

On the other hand, the IT counters pulled the market down, with BSE IT index dropping 0.58%. The key stocks, including TCS and HCL Tech, were seen trading in the red zone, which put pressure on the main indices. The healthcare and power sectors also dragged the market down, sinking 0.34% and 0.35%, respectively.

Biggest Winners and Losers

Hindustan Copper stock continued its winning streak for the seventh day running and touched a 15-year high with a 6.94% increase. HFCL stock price rose 8.75%, marking the highest price in stock market today.

Graphite India shares rallied by 4.61%, the sharpest gain in two months. Defence shares also rallied ahead of the DAC Meeting, with shares of companies such as Midhani, Mazagon Dock, and BDL rising by up to 11%.

Adani Ports was the worst performer on Nifty, losing around 1%. Other stocks, such as Power Grid and Bajaj Finance, also opened 1% lower and contributed to the weakness on the index.

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Share Market News Impacting Sentiments Today

Coforge marked a prominent presence in the stock market with the acquisition announcement of US-based firm, Encora, in a huge deal of Rs. 17,032 crores through stocks. The board members of the firm have also authorised a qualified institutional placement worth $550 million. The stocks showed a mixed response and were trading at Rs. 1,660.

Vedanta was declared the successful bidder for Depo Graphite-Vanadium in critical minerals auctions, adding another block to its list. Ceigall India won an order worth Rs. 1,089 crores from the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation.

L&T received large orders for the Hyderabad Greenfield Radial Road Project, which involves the construction of a 3.6 km-long viaduct. Punjab National Bank had reported a fraud of Rs. 2,434 crore to the RBI against the promoters of SREI Equipment Finance and SREI Infrastructure Finance.

FII & DII Activity

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to be net sellers in the Indian stock market, unloading shares worth Rs. 317.56 crore on December 26. However, the domestic institutional investors (DIIs) acted as supporters by buying shares worth Rs. 1,772.56 crore.

For the year 2025 so far, the FII has sold shares worth Rs. 2.81 lakh crores, which is one of the worst-selling spells since the FII began investing in the Indian market.

Global Cues & Commodities

Asian markets were mixed, with the Japanese market’s Kospi rising 1 % and the Hang Seng market in Hong Kong rising 0.6 %. Gold prices continued their ascendancy, with gold at $4,512 per ounce, but silver retreated following a breakout above the $80-per-ounce level.

The Indian rupee opened slightly lower at 89.90 to the dollar compared to the close of 89.85 in the previous market.

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Market Outlook

Indian stock market today is expected to keep trading within a specific range due to low trading volumes throughout the year-end session. According to technical analysts, the levels of 26,000-25,950 are expected to act as the support level for Nifty, while 26,150-26,200 is expected to be the resistance level.

FAQs

1. What caused the fall of the Indian stock market today?

The market started the day with positive returns, but the trend reversed due to sell pressures in the IT, healthcare, and power sectors. Also, weak global indicators, lower trading activity at the end of the year, and foreign fund sales dampened the market in the late morning session.

2. What sectors fared the best in today’s market?

Metal stocks were leaders, outperforming the street as the BSE Metal index went up by 1.39%. Stocks such as Tata Steel, SAIL, Vedanta, and ONGC were major performers, maintaining the winning streak.

3. Which stocks were the best performers today?

Hindustan Copper went up by nearly 7%, reaching a 15-year high, and HFCL surged by a staggering 9%. Defence companies such as Mazagon Dock and BDL also rallied.

4. How did the FII and DII business affect this market today?

Foreign institutional investors continued to be net sellers, unloading stocks to the tune of Rs. 317 crore. Domestic institutional investors turned buyers with purchases of Rs. 1,772 crore.

5. What is the future outlook for Indian stock market?

Markets are expected to continue their range-bound action because of low year-end volumes. Even today, the levels for support and resistance have been placed at 26,000-25,950 and 26,150-26,200, respectively.