New Delhi, August 21 (HS): Domestic equity markets closed in the green for the sixth consecutive session on Thursday, fueled by strong buying interest in select sectors despite bouts of profit-booking through the day. Both the Sensex and Nifty ended with modest gains, keeping investor sentiment upbeat.
Market Summary
The Sensex advanced 142.87 points (0.17%) to close at 82,000.71, while the Nifty settled 33.20 points (0.13%) higher at 25,083.75. This steady rally added nearly ₹2,000 crore to investors’ wealth, lifting the combined market capitalization of BSE-listed companies to ₹456.19 lakh crore, compared with Wednesday’s ₹456.17 lakh crore.
Intraday Action
The Sensex opened strong at 82,220.46, jumped as high as 82,231.17 in the afternoon, but slipped from its peak amid late profit-booking.
Similarly, the Nifty began at 25,142, climbed to 25,153.65 before easing to settle off its intraday highs.
Sector Watch
Outperformers: Oil & Gas, Pharmaceuticals, and Realty sectors saw robust buying. Banking, IT, and Tech indices also closed higher.
Under Pressure: PSU stocks, FMCG, and Energy shares faced sustained selling. Capital Goods, Consumer Durables, Automobiles, and Metals also ended in the red.
In the broader market, the BSE Midcap index slipped 0.12%, while the Smallcap index edged up 0.01%.
Market Breadth
On the BSE, out of 4,248 stocks traded, 2,097 advanced, 1,990 declined, and 161 remained unchanged. At the NSE, out of 2,731 scrips, 1,350 gained while 1,381 ended lower. On indices, 16 of 30 Sensex stocks and 23 of 50 Nifty stocks closed with gains.
Top Movers
Top Gainers: Cipla (+3.02%), Dr. Reddy’s Labs (+2.51%), Bajaj Finserv (+1.10%), ICICI Bank (+1.08%), SBI Life Insurance (+1.01%).
Top Losers: Coal India (-1.70%), Bajaj Auto (-1.62%), Tata Consumer Products (-1.56%), Power Grid Corp (-1.53%), Eicher Motors (-1.45%).
Takeaway: Despite intermittent volatility and pressure from selective sectoral selling, the bulls continued to dominate, keeping benchmarks firmly in positive territory for the sixth straight session and adding to investors’ wealth.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
