A day after rising almost by a per cent, Indian stock market resumed its downward march on Tuesday, August 12, on losses led by heavyweights, including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries.
The Sensex ended the day at 80,235.59, down 368 points, or 0.46 per cent, while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,487.40, down 98 points, or 0.40 per cent.
The mid-cap and small-cap segments outperformed. While the BSE Midcap index dropped 0.25 per cent, the Smallcap index rose 0.04 per cent.
The overall market capitalisation of firms listed on the BSE dropped to ₹443.3 lakh crore from over ₹444.14 lakh crore in the previous session.
Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day
1. Why did the Indian stock market fall today?
Investors booked profits as concerns over tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump persist. While Trump has extended the trade truce with China for another 90 days, his stance on India remains aggressive.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that the commerce ministry has shortlisted 50 countries as priority markets for diversifying exports to cushion the impact of steep US tariffs on Indian goods.
“The national market reacted with volatility to the ongoing developments in global trade tariffs, reflecting caution following the extension of the US–China tariff truce and ahead of key inflation data due later today,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, observed.
The market saw sector- and stock-specific moves amid a lack of fresh positive triggers. HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, and Reliance emerged as the biggest drags on the benchmark Nifty 50, while Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti, Sun Pharma, and Tech Mahindra provided the strongest support.
“In the near term, stock-specific movements are likely to persist with investors’ attention focused on domestic consumption-led sectors to beat volatility,” said Nair.
2. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index
Shares of Tech Mahindra (up 2.03 per cent), Maruti Suzuki India (up 1.98 per cent), and Hero MotoCorp (up 1.79 per cent) ended as the top gainers.
3. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index
As many as 33 stocks ended lower in the index, with Bajaj Finance (down 2.83 per cent), Trent (down 1.39 per cent), and HUL (down 1.37 per cent) as the top losers.
4. Sectoral indices today
Banking and financial services indices suffered significant losses, while auto and pharma ended with healthy gains.
The Nifty Bank index dropped 0.84 per cent, while the Private Bank index declined 0.81 per cent. The PSU Bank index slipped 0.08 per cent, and the Nifty Financial Services index crashed 1.02 per cent.
Nifty Pharma, Media and Auto rose 0.69 per cent, 0.60 per cent, and 0.56 per cent, respectively.
(This is a developing story. Please check back for fresh updates.)
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Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations expressed are those of individual analysts or broking firms, not Mint. We advise investors to consult with certified experts before making any investment decisions, as market conditions can change rapidly and circumstances may vary.
