Indian Markets Snap Losing Streak as IT, Banking Stocks Lead Charge

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AuthorKavya Nair|Published at:
Indian Markets Snap Losing Streak as IT, Banking Stocks Lead Charge
Overview

Indian equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty broke a two-day losing streak on Friday, closing higher off their session lows. The Nifty IT index surged 3% on strong earnings, while the Nifty Bank index outperformed. Despite gains, market breadth remained weak, with the rupee declining against the US dollar.

Market Recovers After Two-Day Slide

Indian equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty managed to snap a two-day losing streak on Friday, though they finished well off their session highs. The Sensex added 188 points to close at 83,570, while the Nifty gained 29 points to settle at 25,694. Despite the positive close, the Nifty dipped below the 25,700 mark, with nearly 30 of its constituents trading in negative territory.

Sectoral Outperformance Drives Gains

Technology and banking sectors were the key drivers of the day's recovery. The Nifty IT index rallied a strong 3%, buoyed by robust third-quarter earnings reports from major players like Infosys. The Nifty Bank index also outperformed the broader market, climbing 515 points, or nearly 1%, to finish at 60,095 ahead of upcoming Q3 results from banking giants ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank.

The midcap index showed resilience, gaining 97 points to close at 59,868. Among the Sensex constituents, Shriram Finance Ltd, Tata Consumer Products Ltd, State Bank Of India, HDFC Bank Ltd, SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd, and Nestle India Ltd were among the notable gainers. Conversely, Jio Financial Services Ltd, Hindalco Industries Ltd, Bharat Electronics Ltd, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, ITC Ltd, and Bajaj Auto Ltd featured among the laggards.

Stock-Specific Action Dominates

Individual stock movements provided significant trading opportunities. Kernex Micro jumped over 7% after securing a substantial ₹2,466 crore KAVACH order. Angel One saw a significant 9% surge following its positive Q3 earnings announcement, while Polycab experienced a more than 3% decline post its own earnings release. Federal Bank shares touched a record high, surging 10% on improved Q3 profits and asset quality.

Energy stocks also found traction as crude oil prices eased. HPCL climbed 4% and BPCL rose 2% as Brent crude hovered below $64 per barrel. In contrast, Cipla declined 3% after announcing a temporary pause in manufacturing for a key drug. Reliance Industries closed largely flat as investors awaited its Q3 results.

Currency Weakness and Market Breadth

Adding to mixed market sentiment, the Indian rupee extended its decline, weakening to 90.87 against the US dollar. Market breadth, a key indicator of investor sentiment, remained skewed towards declines. The NSE advance-decline ratio stood at 2:3, suggesting broader selling pressure persisted despite the benchmark indices finishing in the green.

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