- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-18
Mumbai: Indian equities opened lower on Thursday as benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty slipped amid weak global cues, declines in Asian markets, and cautious sentiment ahead of US inflation data. While IT stocks gained, auto and pharma shares lagged, and both Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) turned net buyers in early trade.
The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 214.87 points to 84,344.78, while the 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 56.1 points to 25,762.45. Among Sensex constituents, Sun Pharma, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra, NTPC, Bharat Electronics, and Maruti were major laggards, whereas HCL Tech, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, and ITC advanced.
In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng traded lower, while Shanghai’s SSE Composite remained in positive territory. US markets ended lower on Wednesday, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow extending their losing streak amid profit-booking in high-valuation technology and AI stocks.
“Investor sentiment remains cautious ahead of the release of US consumer price inflation data. Market participants are staying defensive and avoiding aggressive positioning,” said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.
Institutional activity supported early trade, with FIIs buying equities worth ₹1,171.71 crore and DIIs purchasing stocks worth ₹768.94 crore on Wednesday.
Brent crude rose 0.65% to USD 60.07 per barrel, adding to market volatility.
On Wednesday, the Sensex had declined 120.21 points (0.14%) to 84,559.65, while the Nifty slipped 41.55 points (0.16%) to 25,818.55.
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