Indian equity benchmarks extended their losing streak on Thursday, with the sell-off largely driven by external headwinds as bond yields climbed to multi-year highs and crude oil prices remained elevated, stoking concerns over the economic outlook for 2026–27.
The Nifty 50 fell 198.50 points, or 0.88%, to close at 22,421.95, while the BSE Sensex declined 570.59 points, or 0.79%, to settle at 71,909.70.
The weakness was broad-based, with the sell-off spilling into the broader market. The Nifty Smallcap 100 index dropped 0.97%, while the Nifty Midcap 100 declined 1.01%.
Market volatility also picked up, with the India VIX, a gauge of expected market volatility, rising 7.04% to 14.44.
Sectoral indices were firmly in the red. The Nifty Auto index led the decline, falling more than 3%, while the Nifty Metal, Nifty FMCG and Nifty Consumer Durables indices shed around 2% each.
Market breadth remained decisively weak. Of the 3,707 stocks traded on the NSE, 2,574 ended lower, while 1,023 advanced and 110 remained unchanged.
The total market capitalisation of companies listed on the NSE stood at Rs 467.54 lakh crore, equivalent to roughly $4.87 trillion.
Here are today’s top gainers on the Nifty
Here are today’s top gainers on the Sensex
Here are today’s top losers on the Nifty
Here are today’s top losers on the Sensex
On the technical front, the Nifty has broken below its weekly 200-SMA zone of 22,600–22,580 and nearly tested the projected support at 22,400. A failure to defend 22,400 could extend weakness towards 22,200–22,000, while 22,600–22,800 has now become the immediate resistance band, according to Hariselvan Radhakrishnan, Founder & CEO of HST Wealth.
Disclosure: This article has been written by Kumar Gaurav, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an Investment Adviser. Gaurav and their ‘relative(s)’ (as defined under Section 2(77) of the Companies Act, 2013) do not hold any financial interest in the companies mentioned in this article as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of The Economic Times Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment. Brokerage disclaimers here
