Final Trade: Sensex falls for 3rd straight session, closes 111 points lower; Nifty slips below 23,550

Benchmark indices extended their losing streak for the third day on Thursday, with the Sensex closing 111 points lower at 79,340, and the Nifty falling below the 23,550 mark. Market sentiment remained subdued amid weak performance in the FMCG and power sectors, while media and realty stocks showed resilience.

 Sector performance: FMCG weighs, media and realty rally

Among the sectors, FMCG, power, PSU banks, and oil & gas were the biggest laggards, shedding between 0.3 percent and 1 percent. Heavyweights like Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Tata Consumer Products, Nestle India, BPCL, and Britannia were among the top losers on the Nifty index, dragging down the overall market sentiment.

Conversely, auto, media, and realty sectors witnessed gains, rising between 0.6 percent and 2 percent. Eicher Motors and Hero MotoCorp led the auto rally, while Reliance Industries, HDFC Life, and Kotak Mahindra Bank also contributed to the Nifty’s positive momentum.

Midcap and smallcap indices outperform

The broader market outperformed the benchmarks, with the BSE Midcap index climbing 0.4 percent and the Smallcap index gaining nearly 1 percent. Investor interest in midcap and smallcap stocks remains strong, as these segments continue to show better resilience compared to large-cap counterparts.

Overall, the mixed performance across sectors indicates selective buying amid cautious market sentiment, with investors eyeing sector-specific opportunities.