Sensex end lower by 54 points on foreign fund outflows

Market Performance - Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally lower due to a weak trend in global markets and persistent foreign fund outflows [1][3] - The 30-share BSE Sensex dipped by 54.30 points, or 0.06 percent, closing at 85,213.36, with an intraday decline of 427.34 points, or 0.50 percent, to 84,840.32 [3] - The 50-share NSE Nifty edged lower by 19.65 points, or 0.08 percent, to 26,027.30 [4] Sector Performance - Major laggards from Sensex firms included Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti, Adani Ports, Bajaj Finserv, Titan, and HDFC Bank [4] - Gainers included Hindustan Unilever, Trent, HCL Tech, Asian Paints, and Tata Steel [4] Foreign Investment Trends - Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth Rs 3,868.94 crore [6] - Persistent foreign fund outflows and a weak rupee have kept markets in a narrow range, with currency volatility expected to continue until clarity on the India-US trade deal emerges [7] Global Market Influence - Asian markets, including South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, Shanghai's SSE Composite, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng, ended lower [6] - Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, increased by 0.15 percent to $61.21 per barrel [7]