Why did Sensex and Nifty decline for the third consecutive session?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Sensex closed at 84,559.65, down 120.21 points.
- Nifty ended at 25,818.55, decreasing by 41.55 points.
- Key support for Nifty is 25,700–25,750.
- Media stocks faced the steepest losses.
- Some heavyweight stocks managed to gain despite overall market weakness.
Mumbai, Dec 17 (NationPress) The Indian equity market benchmark indices concluded lower for the third day in a row on Wednesday, as selling pressure in media, real estate, and consumer durables stocks adversely impacted market sentiment.
By the end of trading, the Sensex finished at 84,559.65, down 120.21 points or 0.14 percent.
The Nifty also closed lower at 25,818.55, decreasing by 41.55 points or 0.16 percent.
Experts noted, "As long as Nifty stays beneath the 25,900–26,000 resistance level, any upward attempts are likely to face selling pressure."
They further added, "The 25,700–25,750 area serves as crucial near-term support, and a daily close below 25,700 will confirm ongoing correction, exposing downside potential towards 25,550–25,400."
In spite of the general downturn, several heavyweight stocks managed to gain. Shares of SBI, Infosys, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma, Maruti Suzuki, TCS, and Tata Steel rose by as much as 1.5 percent.
Conversely, stocks like Trent, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Bajaj Finserv pulled the indices lower.
The broader market remained under strain as well. The BSE MidCap index decreased by 0.54 percent, while the SmallCap index fell by 0.73 percent.
Sector-wise, media stocks experienced the steepest declines, with the Nifty Media index dropping by 1.7 percent.
This was followed by losses in consumer durables, real estate, and chemical stocks. In contrast, PSU bank and IT stocks ended the day positively, providing some support to the market.
On the commodities front, silver prices maintained their robust performance. Silver March futures on the Multi Commodity Exchange reached new record highs, trading around the Rs 2,05,665 mark.
Meanwhile, the Indian rupee experienced a recovery against the US dollar, aided by intervention from the Reserve Bank of India.
The local currency strengthened to approximately 89.81 per dollar during Wednesday’s trading session.
Analysts indicated that cautious investor sentiment and sector-specific selling kept the markets under pressure, even as gains in select stocks and supportive cues from currency and commodity markets provided limited relief.
Additionally, the rupee sharply rebounded from near 91 to about 90.35, likely supported by intervention, breaking a streak of losses.