BT Closing Bell | Sensex settles 416 pts lower, Nifty below 24,000; Axis Bank, HCL Tech lead index losers

Domestic equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty declined on Tuesday, dragged down by banking and auto stocks, amid unresolved tensions in the US-Iran conflict, which pushed oil prices higher and kept investor sentiment cautious.

At close, the Sensex slipped 416.72 points, or 0.54 per cent, to close at 76,886.91, while the Nifty declined 97 points, or 0.40 per cent, to settle at 23,995.70.

Top gainers & losers

Among Sensex constituents, Axis Bank emerged as the top loser, declining 2.65% to Rs 1289.40. HCL Technologies followed with a 2.64% fall, while InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), Maruti Suzuki, ICICI Bank, and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) dropped 2.59%, 2.53%, 1.77% and 1.69%, respectively.  

Fag-end selling dragged Maruti Suzuki India Ltd shares down over 2.5% on Tuesday after the country’s largest carmaker reported its Q4 and full-year earnings ahead of the market close.

While Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel and Sun Pharma were among the gainers on the 30-pack index, which rose up to 1.68%. 

Five stocks, namely, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, State Bank of India (SBI) and Infosys, contributed largely to the Sensex’s decline.  

Among sectoral indices, the BSE Bankex index slumped 1.61% to settle at 62,360.06, while the BSE Auto index dropped 0.98% to close at 56,972.82.  

“A hawkish BoJ stance, weak Asian markets, and ongoing West Asian tensions kept Brent prices elevated, heightening imported inflation risks for India. Persistent FII outflows and rupee weakness further weighed on sentiment, though DII buying provided some support," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.

“Until there is meaningful easing in oil prices or clarity on geopolitical developments, markets are likely to remain volatile and reactive, with a continued preference for stock-specific opportunities over broad-based trends,” said Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth.