Markets end lower after a day’s breather on foreign fund outflows, selling in blue-chips

Mumbai: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Tuesday after a day’s breather, as investors pared exposure to index majors Reliance Industries, L&T and Bharti Airtel amid global tariff-related concerns.

Market sentiment was also sluggish due to a weak start to the earnings season and continued flight of foreign capital from Indian markets, according to traders.

In a volatile trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 250.48 points, or 0.30 per cent, to settle at 83,627.69.

The 50-share NSE Nifty edged lower by 57.95 points or 0.22 per cent to 25,732.30.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Trent, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Industries, InterGlobe Aviation, Maruti, ITC, Adani Ports and Bharat Electronics were among the biggest laggards.

In contrast, Eternal, ICICI Bank, Tech Mahindra, State Bank of India and Tata Consultancy Services were among the gainers.

The BSE smallcap gauge climbed 0.46 per cent, while the midcap index dipped 0.16 per cent.

BSE Telecom dropped 1.18 per cent, industrials (1.09 per cent), capital goods (0.67 per cent), consumer durables (0.63 per cent), realty (0.56 per cent) and energy (0.51 per cent).

BSE Focused IT jumped 0.78 per cent, PSU Bank (0.67 per cent), IT (0.55 per cent), metal (0.39 per cent), financial services (0.30 per cent) and commodities (0.19 per cent).

FIIs offloaded equities worth Rs 3,638.40 crore on Monday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth Rs 5,839.32 crore, according to exchange data.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 1.86 per cent to $65.06 per barrel.

On Monday, the Sensex climbed 301.93 points or 0.36 per cent to settle at 83,878.17. The Nifty edged higher by 106.95 points or 0.42 per cent to 25,790.25.