The domestic equity markets ended the trading session with only slight gains, reflecting a cautious outlook among investors. Stocks in the IT, consumer durables, and oil & gas sectors provided a much-needed boost to the indices, despite lingering geopolitical tensions impacting market sentiment.

On Tuesday, the Nifty 50 rose by 7.45 points (0.03%), closing at 24,336, while the BSE Sensex gained 70 points (0.09%) to finish the day at 80,288.38.

Market Overview Amid Geopolitical Concerns

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, commented on the day’s performance, stating, “The national market displayed a range-bound movement as caution lingered due to geopolitical issues. Nonetheless, the steady inflow from Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) has provided a cushion against further declines. Recent mixed Q4 earnings results have elevated the risk of downward adjustments for FY26 forecasts.” He further noted that apprehensions about possible retaliatory actions could result in market consolidation in the coming days.

Key Highlights from Today’s Trading Session

• Intraday Movements: The indices experienced a strong start, with the Sensex surging over 440 points at one point, reaching a high of 80,661.31. Meanwhile, the Nifty climbed by 130 points, surpassing the crucial 24,400 threshold but could not maintain that level.

• Top Performers: The standout performer in the Nifty 50 was Trent, a retail arm of the Tata Group, which saw a remarkable rise of 5.77%. Other notable gainers included BEL, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries, and Eternal (Zomato).

• Biggest Declines: On the flip side, Sun Pharma emerged as the biggest loser in the Nifty 50, followed by UltraTech Cement, Coal India, Oil & Natural Gas Corp., and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.

Sector Performance Analysis

The IT sector made waves by outperforming other indices, climbing 1.23% to reach 35,920.40. However, the pharmaceutical and metals sectors faced challenges, with declines of 1.06% and 0.95%, respectively. The Nifty Bank index lagged, closing down 42 points (0.07%) at 55,391, while the BSE Midcap index managed a slight gain of 97 points (0.23%), ending at 43,194.16.

In broader market trends, small-cap and mid-cap stocks finished positively, diverging from the general market sentiment. The India VIX, a measure of market volatility, increased by 2.53%, reaching a level of 17.37.

Market Breadth and Technical Insights

The overall market breadth indicated a balanced scenario: out of 2,933 stocks traded, 1,365 advanced, while 1,478 faced declines, with 90 stocks remaining unchanged. Notably, 33 stocks reached new 52-week highs, while 17 hit 52-week lows. Additionally, 78 stocks reached their upper circuit limit, and 46 hit the lower circuit limit.

Jatin Gedia, a Technical Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan, shared insights on the Nifty’s trajectory: “Observing the daily charts, it’s evident that the Nifty has enjoyed a seven-day rally. It is nearing the 61.82% Fibonacci retracement level (24,550) from the September to April decline. Moving forward, the pace of growth is expected to slow, with sector rotation likely over the next weeks.”

In conclusion, while the market showed resilience today, investors remain cautious, keeping a close watch on geopolitical developments and earnings reports.