Domestic benchmark indices ended marginally lower on Tuesday as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, elevated crude oil prices and concerns over global interest rates kept investors cautious despite stronger-than-expected domestic economic growth.
The NSE Nifty 50 closed at 24,055.80, down 24.60 points or 0.10 per cent, while the BSE Sensex ended at 76,944.28, declining 12.99 points or 0.02 per cent.
Market sentiment remained subdued as investors balanced India’s strong economic performance against rising global uncertainties and higher energy costs.
Sectoral indices on the NSE ended mixed. Nifty IT gained 0.98 per cent, FMCG rose 0.94 per cent, Oil and Gas advanced 0.35 per cent and Media gained 0.26 per cent.
On the other hand, Nifty Pharma declined 1.45 per cent, Auto fell 1.22 per cent, PSU Bank slipped 1.21 per cent and Metal declined 0.03 per cent.
Among the Nifty 50 constituents, ITC, Bharti Airtel, HCL Technologies and Reliance Industries were among the major gainers, while Shriram Finance, Maruti Suzuki and Nestle India figured among the top losers.
Crude oil prices remained elevated amid geopolitical concerns, with Brent crude rising more than 2 per cent to USD 92.33 per barrel at the time of reporting, raising concerns over inflation and input costs.
Precious metals also declined, with 24-carat gold falling 1.29 per cent to Rs 1,52,460 per 10 grams, while silver declined 1.73 per cent to Rs 2,29,799 per kg.
Asian markets ended mixed. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.28 per cent, Taiwan’s Weighted Index rose 1.75 per cent and South Korea’s KOSPI advanced 0.23 per cent.
Singapore’s Straits Times declined 0.78 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.06 per cent.
