Mumbai, India, Aug. 13 (ANI): Indian share markets ended on a mixed note Thursday, with the Sensex gaining 113.61 points, or 0.15%, to close at 78,079.96, while the Nifty 50 declined 40.10 points, or 0.16%, to settle at 24,395.85 as weakness in metal, pharmaceutical and PSU bank stocks weighed on the broader market.
The market remained supported by softer-than-expected inflation readings in both India and the U.S., which strengthened expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Reserve Bank of India could maintain a patient policy stance in the near term.
Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Investments Limited, said, “Softer-than-feared inflation readings in both the U.S. and India provided support to investor sentiment, reinforcing expectations that the Fed and the RBI can maintain a patient policy stance in the near term.”
However, gains remained limited amid continued concerns over elevated crude oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East.
Nair said the ongoing earnings season has broadly supported confidence in India’s underlying demand and corporate resilience, helping cushion the impact of external headwinds.
He added that market direction in the near term would depend on developments in energy markets, geopolitical risks and the sustainability of foreign capital inflows.
Sector-wise, the market remained under pressure, with most NSE sectoral indices ending in the red. The Nifty Metal index declined 1.28%, while the Nifty Pharma index fell 0.42% and the Nifty PSU Bank index lost 0.58%.
In contrast, the Nifty FMCG, Nifty IT and Nifty Media indices closed higher.
The weakness in metal stocks was among the key drags on the Nifty. Despite the broader pressure, some sectors managed to remain positive, limiting the decline in the benchmark index.
The Indian rupee also weakened during the session. The domestic currency depreciated by 10 paise against the U.S. dollar and was trading at 95.43 rupees per dollar at the time of filing this report.
Brent crude oil prices declined marginally by 1.70% but continued to remain elevated at $87.47 per barrel at the time of filing the report.
Tata Group stocks traded mixed for the second consecutive session after the announcement that Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran would not seek reappointment after his current term ends Feb. 20, 2027.
TCS gained 0.35% to close at 2,358 rupees per share, while Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles rose 1.52% to 348 rupees per share. Tata Chemicals also gained 0.14% to close at 674 rupees per share.
On the other hand, Titan Company declined 1.18% to 5,036 rupees, while Voltas fell 0.34% to 1,285 rupees per share.
In other Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.28% to close at 68,403, while Taiwan’s weighted index rose more than 1% to 46,021. South Korea’s KOSPI surged 3.44% to 6,813. Singapore’s Straits Times declined 0.01% to 5,720, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.21% to 25,387.
Overall, the domestic market ended on a mixed note, with the Sensex managing to close higher while the Nifty remained in negative territory as sectoral weakness limited gains despite support from softer inflation data and resilient corporate earnings. (ANI)
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