Stock markets decline in early trade amid profit-taking, fresh foreign fund outflows

Market Performance - Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on October 24, 2025, amid profit-taking after a week-long rally and fresh foreign fund outflows [1] - The BSE Sensex dropped 153.18 points to 84,403.22, while the NSE Nifty dipped 51.1 points to 25,840.30 [1] - Both indices had reached their 52-week highs on October 23, 2025 [1] Company Performance - Major laggards among Sensex firms included Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, Power Grid, Eternal, and Adani Ports [2] - Gainers included Bharat Electronics, ICICI Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Tata Steel [2] Foreign Investment Activity - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹1,165.94 crore on October 23, 2025 [3] - Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) were net buyers, purchasing equities worth ₹3,893.73 crore in the previous trade [3] Global Market Context - Asian markets showed positive performance with South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, Shanghai's SSE Composite, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng trading higher [2] - U.S. markets ended positively on October 23, 2025 [2] - Global oil benchmark Brent crude decreased by 0.47% to $65.68 a barrel [3]