Stock market ends first trading session of 2026 on flat note amid massive selling in ITC

Mumbai: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended almost flat on the first trading session of 2026, as massive selling in ITC stock and foreign fund outflows amid thin investor participation diminished the initial enthusiasm.

A selective buying trend on some counters supported the equity market, but a weak rupee against the dollar impacted sentiments, traders said.

In a see-saw trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex dipped 32 points or 0.04 per cent to settle at 85,188.60 on Thursday due to fag-end selling. During the day, it hit a high of 85,451.70 and a low of 85,101.52, fluctuating 350.18 points.

The 50-share NSE Nifty went up marginally by 16.95 points or 0.06 per cent to end at 26,146.55.

From the 30-Sensex firms, ITC tanked 9.69 per cent, following Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Bharat Electronics and ICICI Bank.

In contrast, NTPC, Eternal, Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro and Power Grid were among the gainers.

Shares of cigarette and tobacco product makers tumbled after the government notified February 1 as the date from which additional excise duty on tobacco products, and a health cess on pan masala will be levied.

Godfrey Phillips India plummeted 17.09 per cent.

The BSE midcap gauge climbed 0.27 per cent, while the smallcap index dipped 0.02 per cent.

Among sectoral indices, BSE FMCG tanked 2.96 per cent. Consumer Durables and oil & gas were also the laggards.

Telecom jumped 1.69 per cent, utilities (1.51 per cent), power (1.14 per cent), auto (0.95 per cent), realty (0.84 per cent) and metal (0.82 per cent).

FIIs offloaded equities worth Rs 3,597.38 crore on Wednesday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth Rs 6,759.64 crore, according to exchange data.