Indian stock markets ended flat on Wednesday as investors balanced optimism and caution amid positive cues from easing retail inflation and the ongoing assessment of Q1FY26 corporate earnings.
At the close, the Sensex was up 52.73 points, or nearly 0.1 per cent, at 82,623.64, while the Nifty gained 6.4 points, or 0.03 per cent, to settle at 25,202.20.
“India’s macroeconomic outlook remains strong, supported by easing inflation, lower interest rates, a healthy monsoon, and softer oil prices,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.
During the trading session, M&M, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra emerged as the top Nifty gainers, while Shri Ram Finance, Eternal, and Sun Pharma were among the biggest losers.
Among sectors, the Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Media indices outperformed, while the Nifty Metal, Nifty Healthcare, and Nifty Pharma indices ended in the red.
“A drop in inflation for the eighth straight month has provided a boost to the market,” Nair added. Retail inflation in India continued its downward trend, hitting a new six-year low in June, bringing further relief to consumers.
Of the 3,018 stocks traded on Wednesday, 1,663 advanced, while 1,271 declined. Eighty-four stocks remained unchanged.
“Market breadth remained marginally positive, with the advance-decline ratio slightly favouring the bulls. Out of the Nifty 500 universe, 264 stocks ended the day with gains, indicating a cautiously optimistic undertone,” said Sudeep Shah, Head – Technical and Derivatives Research, SBI Securities.
“For the Nifty index, the highest open interest on the call side is concentrated at the 25,300 and 25,500 strike prices, suggesting potential resistance at these levels. On the put side, the maximum open interest is at the 25,200 and 25,100 strikes, indicating immediate support zones. The Put-Call Ratio (PCR) currently stands at 0.84,” according to market commentary by Ashika Institutional Equities.
Meanwhile, investors are also keeping an eye on the possible announcement of an India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.
India is making steady progress toward finalising a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States, with both countries committed to following the roadmap laid out by their respective leaders, a senior government official said.
(ANI)