Stock markets ended marginally lower on Tuesday amid thin year-end trading as persistent foreign fund outflows and a muted trend in global equities weighed on investors' sentiment.Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/ReutersFalling for the fifth consecutive day, the 30-share BSE Sensex dipped 20.46 points or 0.02 per cent to settle at 84,675.08.During the day, hit a high of 84,806.99 and a low of 84,470.94, gyrating 336.05 points. Ending the day on a flat note, the 50-share NSE Nifty slipped 3.25 points or 0.01 ...

Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower on Monday due to selling in oil & gas and IT shares, foreign fund outflows and thin year-end trading.Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/ReutersExtending the downtrend to the fourth day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined by 345.91 points or 0.41 per cent to settle at 84,695.54.During the day, it dropped 403.59 points or 0.47 per cent to 84,637.86.Registering its third day of decline, the 50-share NSE Nifty edged lower by 100.20 points or 0.38 per cent to ...

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty surged on Friday after four days of decline in tandem with a rally in global markets as a lower-than-expected US consumer price inflation data for November reinforced expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/ReutersFresh foreign fund inflows also drove the equity markets higher.The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 447.55 points, or 0.53 per cent, to settle at 84,929.36.During the day, it surged 585.69 points, or 0.69 pe ...

Market Performance - Stock markets experienced a decline for the third consecutive day, with the benchmark Sensex closing lower by 120.21 points or 0.14% at 84,559.65, marking a week's low [2][3] - The NSE Nifty also fell by 41.55 points or 0.16% to a week's low of 25,818.55 [4] Major Contributors - Among the Sensex firms, major laggards included Trent, HDFC Bank, Adani Ports, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Bharat Electronics, Titan, and Asian Paints [4] - Conversely, State Bank of India, Infosys, Axis Bank, and Maruti were among the gainers [4] Foreign and Domestic Investment - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 2,381.92 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) purchased stocks worth Rs 1,077.48 crore [5] Global Market Context - In Asian markets, indices such as South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, Shanghai's SSE Composite, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended positively [5] - Brent crude oil prices increased by 2.12% to $60.17 per barrel [5]

Benchmark Sensex tumbled 533.50 points and the broader Nifty declined to the 25,860 level on Tuesday as persistent foreign fund outflows, a weak rupee and sluggish global market trends dented investor sentiment.Illustration: Dominic Xavier/RediffThe 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 533.50 points or 0.63 per cent to settle at 84,679.86.During the day, it dived 592.75 points or 0.69 per cent to 84,620.61.The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 167.20 points or 0.64 per cent to 25,860.10. Among Sensex firms, Axis Bank tanked ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - **Industry**: India Consumer Sector - **Outlook for CY26/FY27**: Improvement in staples volumes, sales, and EBITDA growth expected to reach 6%, 9%, and 2% year-on-year respectively, compared to 3%, 8%, and 5% in CY25/FY26, indicating a positive trend above the 10-year average [1][2][4] Core Insights and Arguments - **Positive Macro Parameters**: A combination of low inflation, improved wage growth, favorable agricultural conditions, GST cuts, and tax reforms are expected to enhance consumption demand [2][4] - **Volume Growth Recovery**: Anticipated mid-single-digit percentage growth in volumes after four years of low growth, with rural areas expected to see more significant improvements than urban areas [2][3][4] - **Pricing Power**: While pricing-led growth is limited, companies are expected to regain pricing power due to improved affordability and potential raw material price increases [2][3][4] - **GST Rate Cuts**: The reduction in GST rates for daily items is expected to drive formalization in the market, benefiting organized companies by narrowing the gap with unorganized products [2][3][4][99] - **Quick Commerce Growth**: The quick commerce channel is growing rapidly, providing a competitive edge for FMCG companies through convenience and discounts, while competition from D2C brands is easing [2][3][106] Additional Important Insights - **Brand Performance**: Companies with high market share and brand recall are likely to benefit from the new distribution channels, while D2C brands face challenges in scaling and profitability [3][106] - **Margin Recovery**: Improvement in gross profit margins is expected due to soft raw material prices and previous price hikes, with a return to normative levels anticipated in 2HFY26F [3][4][107] - **Sector-Specific Trends**: - **Paints**: Expected cyclical recovery with projected growth of 12% in volumes and 9% in sales for CY26/FY27 [3] - **Jewelry**: Strong demand growth of over 20% expected, driven by wedding season despite high gold prices [3] - **Retail Categories**: Other retail sectors like apparel and QSR are expected to recover gradually in CY26 [3][4] Valuation and Investment Recommendations - **Valuation Levels**: Consumer staple stocks are currently trading at reasonable levels, providing comfort for investment [3][4] - **Top Picks**: - **Consumer Staples**: Godrej Consumer Products, Tata Consumer Products, Marico, Britannia Industries [5][6] - **Consumer Discretionary**: Titan Co Ltd, Asian Paints [5][6] Conclusion - **Overall Outlook**: The confluence of favorable macroeconomic factors is expected to drive a recovery in consumption across the Indian consumer sector, with a preference for consumer discretionary over staples due to anticipated stronger cyclical recovery [4][6]

Banking Sector - The ongoing debate between private banks and public sector banks (PSBs) suggests a balanced investment approach, with ICICI Bank and State Bank of India being recommended for holding [8] - Banks with minimal CASA deterioration in the recent quarter are expected to benefit incrementally in the upcoming periods, highlighting the importance of advanced deposit mix and monitoring unsecured lending growth [8] - Provisioning remains strong on most bank balance sheets, indicating that selectively chosen banks may perform well in the next few quarters [2][8] Infrastructure Sector - Opportunities in the infrastructure sector remain, albeit selectively, with road companies like KNR and PNC Infratech experiencing valuation compression due to margin pressures, despite strong order books [8] - Companies such as NBCC, HCC, and Patel Engineering are noted for fair execution and decent order books, while cement players like ACC are highlighted for their attractive valuations and expected stronger volume performance [8] Paint Industry - The paint industry is expected to mirror nominal GDP growth, with anticipated volume growth of 10% to 12% over the next few quarters [6][8] - A significant portion of the paint market remains unorganised, providing expansion opportunities for organised players like Asian Paints, which is noted for its strong product suite and cost moderation [6][9] - Investors are advised to continue holding Asian Paints due to its positive prospects and strong performance in Q2 [7][9]

Market Performance - Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on December 2, 2025, due to pressure from blue-chip bank stocks and ongoing foreign fund outflows [1][2] - The 30-share BSE Sensex fell by 380.02 points to 85,261.88 during initial trade after reaching a record high in the previous session [1] - The 50-share NSE Nifty decreased by 98.3 points to 26,077.45 [2] Sector Performance - Major laggards from the Sensex firms included HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Adani Ports, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, and Eternal [2] - In contrast, gainers included Asian Paints, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, and Bajaj Finance [2] Foreign and Domestic Investment - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth ₹1,171.31 crore on December 1, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) purchased stocks worth ₹2,558.93 crore [2] Global Market Context - Asian markets showed mixed performance, with Shanghai's SSE Composite index trading lower, while South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng indices were in positive territory [3] - U.S. markets ended lower on December 1, and Brent crude oil prices dipped 0.03% to $63.15 per barrel [3] Recent Trading Activity - On December 1, the Sensex ended 64.77 points or 0.08% lower at 85,641.90 after earlier gains, having reached a record intra-day high of 86,159.02 [3] - The Nifty settled at 26,175.75, down 27.20 points or 0.10%, after climbing to a lifetime high of 26,325.80 during the day [4]

Market Performance - The benchmark Sensex rebounded by 1,022.50 points or 1.21% to settle at 85,609.51, while Nifty increased by 320.50 points or 1.24% to end at 26,205.30, just 10 points shy of its all-time high [3][4] - In intra-day trade, Nifty surged 330.35 points or 1.27% to reach 26,215.15 [4] Investor Sentiment - Growing expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut in December, supported by recent US economic data indicating softening demand and cooling inflation, bolstered investor sentiment [7][10] - Increasing optimism regarding a potential truce between Russia and Ukraine also enhanced risk appetite among investors [9][10] Sector Performance - Market participation was broad-based, with metals, energy, and IT sectors leading the gains, while mid-cap and small-cap indices advanced over 1% [5][6] - Major gainers among Sensex firms included Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Axis Bank, and Infosys, while Bharti Airtel and Asian Paints were laggards [4][6] Foreign and Domestic Investment - Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth ₹785.32 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors bought stocks worth ₹3,912.47 crore [8] - The overall market sentiment improved globally, driven by expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut and a weaker dollar [8]

Market Overview - Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced declines in early trade, with Sensex dropping 285.28 points to 85,347.40 and Nifty falling 82.6 points to 26,109.55, following a two-day rally impacted by weak global market trends [1] - Asian markets also showed negative performance, with South Korea's Kospi down over 3 percent and Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropping more than 2 percent [2] Market Performance - The Nasdaq Composite fell by 2.15 percent, reflecting a 4.4 percent drop from its intra-day peak, indicating increased market volatility [3] - Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) purchased equities worth ₹283.65 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth ₹824.46 crore on Thursday [3] Oil Prices - Brent crude oil benchmark decreased by 1.26 percent to $62.58 per barrel [4] Recent Trends - On the previous trading day, the Sensex had increased by 446.21 points, or 0.52 percent, closing at 85,632.68, while Nifty closed at 26,192.15 after gaining 139.50 points, or 0.54 percent [4]