The Indian stock market experienced a day of ups and downs on March 25, ultimately closing with a slight shift in values. Despite some support from the IT sector, the overall mood in the market remained subdued, leading to declines across numerous industry indices.
Market Performance Overview
The BSE Sensex wrapped up the session at 78,017.19, marking a modest increase of 32.82 points or 0.04%. Similarly, the NSE Nifty finished the day at 23,668.65, also inching up by 0.04%. In contrast, the Nifty Bank struggled, ending the day at 51,607.95, which reflects a decrease of 0.19%.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, commented, "After a six-day upward trend, profit-taking emerged, particularly in small and mid-cap stocks that still carry high valuations. The IT sector managed to post gains thanks to positive global signals linked to anticipated softer tariffs and recent valuation corrections. Moving forward, investors seem poised for caution as they seek clarity on the trade dynamics between the US and India."
Key Gainers and Losers
In the Nifty 50, standout performers included UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finserv, Trent, Grasim, and Infosys. Conversely, IndusInd Bank faced a notable decline of 5%, with Dr. Reddy’s, Coal India, Adani Enterprises, and Adani Ports also among the least favored stocks.
Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities, noted, "While the market is experiencing some profit booking after a robust rally, the short-term outlook remains optimistic. For day traders, the 23,600/77,700 level is crucial support. A rise above this could see the market retest the 23,850/78,300 to 23,900/78,500 range. If it falls below 23,600/77,700, we might see a drop to 23,500 or even 23,450/77,300-77,200."
Sectoral Performance
Most sector indices closed lower, with the IT sector being the notable exception that showed resilience. The automobile, capital goods, consumer durables, metals, oil & gas, power, PSU banks, real estate, and telecom sectors experienced losses ranging from 1% to 1.5%.
Additionally, the broader market faced challenges, with the BSE Midcap index declining by 1% and the Smallcap index dropping 1.5%.
Nifty Snapshot Insights
Out of 2,998 stocks traded on the NSE, a substantial 2,258 stocks closed lower, while only 674 stocks managed to gain. Furthermore, 66 stocks remained unchanged.
A significant 96 stocks hit their 52-week lows, contrasting with just 30 stocks that reached new 52-week highs. The day was marked by considerable selling pressure, with 157 stocks hitting their lower circuit limits, although 105 stocks did manage to hit their upper circuit limits, indicating some degree of market resilience.
In summary, the Indian stock market’s mixed performance on March 25 reflects ongoing investor caution amid profit-taking and sectoral pressures, with particular attention now focused on upcoming trade policy developments.
