Market Overview:

The Indian equity markets continued their bearish streak, pressured by weak global cues and broad-based selling. The benchmark indices posted notable declines, with the Sensex closing at 75,345 (-1.11%) and the Nifty 50 settling at 22,824 (-1.16%). Volatility spiked as the India VIX surged 8.24% to 18.13, indicating increased market uncertainty.

The broader markets fared worse, with the Nifty Midcap 150 and Nifty Smallcap 250 tumbling 2.83% and 3.66%, respectively, reflecting significant pressure on mid- and small-cap stocks.

Sectoral Performance

All sectoral indices ended in the red, with the most pronounced declines in:

• Nifty Media (-4.73%)

• Nifty IT (-3.36%)

• Nifty Metal (-2.95%)

Conversely, Nifty FMCG, Nifty Financial Services, and Nifty Auto displayed relative resilience, registering comparatively smaller losses.

Stock Highlights

Top Movers:

• Gainers:

• Bank of India: ₹104 (+6.02%)

• Sobha Limited: ₹1,194 (+5.06%)

• Losers:

• Anant Raj Limited: ₹668 (-17.52%)

Notable Volume Gainers:

• Bombay Super Hybrid Seeds Limited (BSHSL): Stock rallied 10.82% to ₹157.60, with trading volumes surging 10.35 times the two-week average, driven by a stellar Q3 performance (net profit up 30.81% YoY).

• DCB Bank Limited: Gained 4.22% to ₹118.31, supported by 5.57x higher trading volumes.

• RPG Life Sciences Limited: Rose 8.29% to ₹2,257.00 on robust Q3 FY25 earnings, with a 32% YoY net profit increase.

Corporate Announcements

• Sumitomo Chemical (SUMICHEM): Revenue rose 7.8% YoY to ₹6,224 Cr; PAT declined 4.3% YoY.

• Epigral Pharma (EPIGRAL): PAT doubled (+110% YoY) to ₹104 Cr; revenue surged 37% YoY to ₹649 Cr.

• Laurus Labs: Clarified that the US PEPFAR freeze will not impact its ARV drug business.

• LT Foods: Acquired the remaining 4% stake in Raghunath Agro for ₹2.7 Cr.

• Delhivery: Announced a strategic partnership with HPCL for distributing HP Lubrica products.

Key Global Insights

Global markets mirrored India’s cautious sentiment amid earnings reports, economic data releases, and policy speculation. Here’s the global economic calendar to watch today:

• US: Durable Goods Orders (Dec), Pending Home Sales (Dec)

• Eurozone: ECB Lending Survey, Business Confidence Index (Jan)

• China: Industrial Profits (Dec)

• Japan: Retail Sales (Dec), Unemployment Rate (Dec)

Closing Thoughts

With heightened volatility and sectoral weaknesses dominating the day, investor sentiment remains cautious ahead of key domestic and global economic triggers. Stay tuned for further insights on our YouTube channel to decode these developments and their impact on your portfolio.

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