Final Trade: Sensex closes flat; Nifty below 24,600; Bajaj Finance, Britannia gain 2%

The Sensex and Nifty remained rangebound on December 11 as investors awaited critical inflation data from the US and India. At 2:35 PM, the BSE Sensex was up 61 points (0.07%) at 81,571, while the Nifty rose 38 points (0.2%) to 24,647.

Auto and metal stocks led the gains, with the Nifty Auto index up 0.5 per cent, driven by M&M, Maruti Suzuki, and Hero MotoCorp. The Nifty Metal index also advanced 0.4 per cent, bolstered by Vedanta and Tata Steel, amid expectations of monetary easing in China.

On the flip side, Nifty PSU Bank emerged as the biggest sectoral laggard, reflecting broader market caution ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting on December 17-18.

Sectoral and stock highlights

• FIIs have returned to Indian markets, making net purchases of nearly Rs 14,000 crore in December, reversing October-November selling trends.

• Cement stocks gained on price hikes attributed to increased demand from real estate and infrastructure projects. Shares of ACC, Ambuja Cement, and Dalmia Bharat rose 0.5–4 per cent.

• Bajaj Finance, Britannia, and UltraTech Cement led gains on the Nifty 50, while Adani Ports, JSW Steel, and SBI were top losers.

As markets build a base post-election volatility, mid-cap and small-cap stocks have outperformed, driven by robust mutual fund inflows.

Market outlook

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services highlights, "The Indian market exhibited subtle movements, reflecting mixed sentiments prevailing in global markets ahead of the US CPI inflation data release, which could influence the FED policy. The US dollar strengthened, while bond yields saw a marginal uptick. Defensive sectors, including FMCG and pharmaceuticals, experienced an uptick. Additionally, the metals sector saw gains driven by optimism surrounding potential stimulus measures from China."