On Friday, April 25, the Indian stock market experienced a decline for the second straight session due to increased tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, which negatively impacted market sentiment.
Market summary: The Sensex dropped by 589 points, or 0.74 percent, closing at 79,212.53. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 ended the day at 24,039.35, down 207 points, or 0.86 percent.
(Photo: Bloomberg) The Indian stock market faced loss again on April 25, driven by profit booking amidst escalating tensions following the Pahalgam incident. The Sensex fell to 79,212.53 with a reduction of 589 points, representing a 0.74 percent decrease, as the Nifty 50 closed at 24,039.35, marking a drop of 207 points or 0.86 percent.
Midcap and Smallcap indices suffered larger losses, falling by 2.44 percent and 2.56 percent, respectively.
The India VIX, indicating market volatility, surged nearly 6 percent to 17.16, reflecting growing unease among investors.
The total market capitalization for BSE-listed companies dropped to approximately ₹421 lakh crore from about ₹430 lakh crore in the previous trading session, leading to a loss of nearly ₹9 lakh crore in a single day on Friday.
Over the course of two days, the Sensex has decreased by 904 points, equivalent to 1.1 percent, whereas the Nifty 50 has fallen by 290 points, or 1.2 percent.
“Nifty has seen a decline following a consolidation phase on the daily chart, indicating a rise in bearish sentiment. Additionally, the index has fallen below its 200-DMA, suggesting a possible shift back into bearish territory,” noted Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities.
“Investor sentiment is weak, exhibiting a clear risk-off attitude ahead of the weekend, fueled by rising tensions between India and Pakistan. In the short term, it seems that sentiment will play a crucial role in influencing market trends, with a potential for the index to decline further. Support levels are identified at 23,800 and 23,515,” De added.
Indian stock market: 10 crucial highlights
Here are 10 essential highlights from today’s stock market:
1. What caused the drop in the Indian stock market today?
Profit-taking, alongside rising tensions between India and Pakistan, has contributed to the stock market’s decline for the second consecutive session.
Mixed fourth-quarter earnings failed to maintain previous market advancements.
Ongoing uncertainties surrounding US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, alongside a slight adjustment to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) growth forecasts for the Indian economy, are also factors weighing down market confidence.
“Investor sentiment has turned cautious due to escalating tensions along the Indo-Pak border. Mid- and small-cap stocks were significantly impacted due to their high valuations and concerns regarding potential earnings downgrades amid a lukewarm start to the earnings season,” stated Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Investments Limited.
“The likelihood of continued correction in the near term is apparent as investors choose a wait-and-see approach,” Nair added.
2. Leading Nifty 50 gainers today
SBI Life Insurance Company (up 5.15 percent), Tech Mahindra (up 1.02 percent), TCS (up 0.95 percent), and Infosys (up 0.58 percent) were the top performers in the index.
3. Leading Nifty 50 losers today
41 stocks in the Nifty 50 index closed lower. Notable declines included Shriram Finance (down 8.13 percent), Adani Enterprises (down 3.95 percent), and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (down 3.79 percent), which were the worst performers.
4. Sector performance today
All major sectoral indices declined except for Nifty IT, which rose by 0.72 percent.
Nifty Media (down 3.24 percent), Realty (down 2.80 percent), Healthcare (down 2.42 percent), Pharma (down 2.24 percent), Metal (down 2.10 percent), Consumer Durables (down 1.85 percent), Auto (down 1.67 percent), and Oil and Gas (down 1.43 percent) closed significantly lower.
The Nifty Bank index decreased by 0.97 percent, while the Financial Services index lost 1.02 percent.
Indices like Nifty PSU Bank (down 2.24 percent) and Private Bank (down 1.28 percent) also faced severe declines.
5. Most active stocks by volume
Vodafone Idea (187.37 crore shares), YES Bank (10.93 crore shares), and Suzlon (10.4 crore shares) were the most actively traded stocks in terms of volume on the NSE.
6. Four stocks buck the weak market trend, rising over 10% on NSE
Lakshmi Finance & Industrial Corporation (up 20 percent), Carraro India (up 15.57 percent), Manaksia Steels (up 14.52 percent), and Butterfly Gandhimathi Appliances (up 10.50 percent) were the stocks that gained over 10 percent on the NSE.
7. Four stocks slump over 10% on NSE
Bhandari Hosiery Exports (down 11.93 percent), SRM Contractors (down 11.91 percent), PVP Ventures (down 11.08 percent), and Mindteck (India) (down 10.02 percent) all fell more than 10 percent on the