Indian equities finished the trading session in the red on Wednesday, as weakness in key industrial and technology-related sectors pushed benchmark indices lower.
At the National Stock Exchange close, the Nifty 50 retreated 0.59% and reached a new 1-month low. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Sensex 30 declined 0.49%.
Winners and losers
Among Nifty constituents, Coal India Ltd (NSE:COAL) was the session's strongest performer, advancing 3.66% - up 14.70 points to finish at 416.30. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (NSE:APSE) added 1.41%, an increase of 23.20 points to close at 1,670.70. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (NSE:PGRD) also gained, rising 1.23% or 3.25 points to 267.80 by late trade.
On the downside, Hero MotoCorp Ltd (NSE:HROM) led losses on the Nifty, dropping 4.95% - down 275.00 points to 5,280.00 at the close. Eicher Motors Ltd. (NSE:EICH) fell 3.53% or 281.00 points to end at 7,689.00. Wipro Ltd (NSE:WIPR) declined 2.38%, a drop of 4.32 points to 177.38.
Performance on the BSE Sensex 30
On the Sensex, Adani Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd (BO:APSE) rose 1.63% to 1,672.90, while Bajaj Finserv Ltd (BO:BJFS) gained 1.02% to close at 1,990.00. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (BO:PGRD) was up 1.00% to finish at 267.50.
The laggards on the BSE included IndusInd Bank Ltd. (BO:INBK), down 1.79% to 977.10, Asian Paints Ltd. (BO:ASPN), which slipped 1.61% to 2,526.70, and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (BO:MAHM), which fell 1.56% to 3,191.80 at the close.
Market breadth and volatility
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NSE by 1,511 to 1,070, with 54 stocks unchanged. On the BSE, 2,231 shares fell, 1,823 advanced and 191 were unchanged. The India VIX, a gauge of implied volatility for Nifty 50 options, rose 0.50% to 11.55, reflecting a modest uptick in expected short-term volatility.
Commodities and currency moves
In commodities trading, December Gold Futures fell 0.90% or 39.41 to $4,356.99 a troy ounce. Crude for October delivery climbed 0.14% or 0.13 to $90.35 a barrel, and the November Brent contract gained 0.41% or 0.39 to trade at $95.04 a barrel.
Currency pairs showed slight movement: USD/INR was down 0.04% at 94.91, while EUR/INR declined 0.18% to 109.88. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.18% to 99.82.
Context and closing note
The trading session closed with the Nifty at a one-month low as selling pressure in Auto, IT and Capital Goods names outweighed gains in resource and infrastructure-related stocks. Market breadth and a small rise in the India VIX signaled broader caution among participants. Commodity and currency moves provided mixed signals, with gold easing and crude oil firming slightly while the rupee showed marginal strength against the dollar.