Sensex, Nifty settle marginally lower amid thin year-end trading, foreign fund outflows weigh

Market Overview - Stock markets ended marginally lower amid thin year-end trading, influenced by persistent foreign fund outflows and a muted trend in global equities [1] - The 30-share BSE Sensex fell for the fifth consecutive day, decreasing by 20.46 points or 0.02 percent to settle at 84,675.08, with a daily high of 84,806.99 and a low of 84,470.94, resulting in a fluctuation of 336.05 points [1] - The 50-share NSE Nifty slipped 3.25 points or 0.01 percent to close at 25,938.85 [1] Sector Performance - Among the 30-Sensex firms, major laggards included Eternal, Infosys, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finance, HCL Tech, and Titan [2] - Conversely, Tata Steel, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, and Axis Bank were identified as the biggest gainers [2] Foreign and Domestic Investment - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth ₹2,759.89 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) purchased stocks worth ₹2,643.85 crore [3] - The trading activity indicates a net outflow from foreign investors and a slight net inflow from domestic investors [3] Global Market Context - In Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed positively, while South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, and Shanghai's SSE Composite index ended lower [2] - European markets were trading marginally higher, while US markets closed lower on the previous day [2]