Why Did the Sensex and Nifty Close Flat Ahead of CPI Data?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Mumbai, Feb 11 (NationPress) The Indian equity markets remained largely unchanged on Wednesday, halting a series of three consecutive gains, as investors displayed caution prior to the upcoming CPI data release.
At the end of trading, the Sensex slipped by 40 points, or 0.05 percent, finishing at 84,233. Conversely, the Nifty managed to rise by 18 points, or 0.07 percent, closing at 25,953.
The broader market indices aligned closely with the benchmark figures, as the Nifty Midcap 100 index saw a slight increase of 0.03 percent, while the NSE Smallcap 100 index moved up by 0.02 percent.
Market breadth was negative, with 2,259 stocks declining compared to 1,701 stocks that advanced on the BSE. The Nifty Next 50 index rose by 0.55 percent, and the Nifty Financial Services index increased by 0.32 percent.
Most sectoral indices ended the day with gains, except for Nifty IT and private banks. Nifty IT emerged as the biggest loser, declining by 1.76 percent. In contrast, Nifty auto saw an increase of 1.30 percent, pharma rose by 1.01 percent, and the PSU bank index added 1.03 percent.
The rupee traded slightly weaker at 90.68 per dollar, down by 0.13 paise, continuing its range-bound movement amid mixed global signals. Rising crude prices, particularly due to increased imports from Western markets, could escalate the import bill and exert pressure on the currency.
Market analysts noted that the Nifty50 remains in a range-bound state, with stock-specific movements dominating, unless a decisive breakout occurs.
Bank Nifty concluded marginally higher at around 60,750, maintaining its position above the 60,500 support level. Overall, Bank Nifty remains range-bound with a positive outlook, awaiting confirmation above 60,800 for further momentum, according to analysts.
In January, the Nifty50 fell by 3.10 percent but has increased by 7.71 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, the Nifty 500 index remained steady in January, closing the year up 6.94 percent, while midcap and smallcap indices experienced declines between 3.53 percent and 5.52 percent.