Closing Bell: Nifty below 15,800, Sensex ends flat; Metal, IT, auto stocks top losers

Extending weakness, the Indian market closed lower for the second consecutive day on Thursday. The benchmarks ended the highly volatile day with marginal cuts as Nifty50 closed near 15,800 and the Sensex settled around 53,000-mark.  

Underperforming the benchmarks, Nifty midcap declined nearly 0.8% and Nifty smallcap dropped by half percent as India VIX closed near 22-mark.  

Sectorally, almost all Nifty indices slipped in the red with some buying interest seen in select banking and financial stocks. Nifty Metal, Auto and IT were took maximum beatings among sectoral indices.  

Among stocks, Axis Bank remained top gainers on both Nifty50 and the Sensex. Besides, Britannia, State Bank of India, HDFC LIfe, Divi's laboratories, Kotak Bank, NTPC, L&T were among top gainers in an otherwise weak market.  

Cipla, Eicher Motors, BPCL, JSW Steel, Shree Cements,Tech Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel and Bajaj Finserv were top laggards on Thursday.