Thursday’s market open in India was a study in equilibrium, with the Sensex opening 60 points lower at 83,757.54 and Nifty down one point to 25,755. Mixed international cues set the tone for a flat start, as traders navigated sector-specific pressures.
Early trade saw metals under siege, positioning Nifty Metal as the premier decliner. The negativity spread to defense, realty, pharma, healthcare, infrastructure, commodities, services, and auto sectors, all in the red. Oil & gas, FMCG, media, and IT provided the green counterpoints.
Mid and smallcaps lagged, with Nifty Midcap 100 down 179 points (0.30%) at 59,504 and Nifty Smallcap 100 weaker by 137 points (0.80%) at 17,070. This reflects heightened caution in riskier segments.
In the Sensex pack, standout performers included HUL, Infosys, Trent, TCS, ICICI Bank, NTPC, SBI, and HCL Tech. The underperformers were IndiGo, BEL, L&T, Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, Sun Pharma, Maruti Suzuki, Axis Bank, Titan, Asian Paints, Power Grid, and ITC.
Asia’s performance was patchy: declines in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Seoul, while Jakarta advanced. US markets closed mixed the previous day.
The selling in metals rippled into bullion markets. MCX gold (April 2026) fell 1.46% to ₹1,50,813, silver (March 2026) crashed 9% to ₹2,44,654. Comex saw gold under $5,000/oz and silver below $80/oz. Oil prices softened, Brent crude at $68/barrel (-2.16%), WTI at $63/oz.
Looking ahead, the session’s trajectory hinges on intraday flows, commodity rebounds, and any fresh macroeconomic pointers. With earnings season winding down, focus shifts to policy signals and global trade tensions that could sway the indices either way.