Market Wrap: Benchmark indices close lower with Nifty FMCG among the top losers.

On Thursday, Benchmark indices concluded the trading day on a negative note as Sensex substantially declined by 0.62 per cent and closed at 72,488.99 level, while Nifty also plunged by 0.69 per cent and closed at 21,995.85 level.

Market Update at 3:40 PM: On Thursday, Benchmark indices concluded the trading day on a negative note as Sensex substantially declined by 0.62 per cent and closed at 72,488.99 level, while Nifty also plunged by 0.69 per cent and closed at 21,995.85 level. Similarly, the Broader market experienced underperformance as Nifty Midcap closed marginally lower by 0.49 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap declined by 0.28 per cent.

Market volatility, as indicated by India VIX, has surged by 2.08 per cent, reflecting an increase in market volatility.

Nifty Media was the only major sector which closed positively while Nifty FMCG, Nifty Financial Services, Nifty Pharma and Nifty Energy were among the top losing sectors.

Bharti Airtel, Power Grid and Bajaj Auto were among the top gainers while Apollo Hospitals, Titan and Nestle India were among the top losing stocks from the Nifty 50.

About 880 stocks were advancing as against to 1207 stocks that were declining, thus indicating a negative sentiment in the broader market.

Market Update at 2:20 PM: In the current trading session benchmark indices trade on a positive note with the Sensex trading marginally higher by 0.02 per cent, while Nifty also gained by 0.05 per cent. Similarly, in the broader indices Nifty Midcap has moderately gained by 0.53 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap has surged by 0.63 per cent.

India VIX is currently trading marginally higher by 2.08 per cent, indicating a slight increase in market volatility.

Nifty Media, Nifty Metal and Nifty PSU Bank are among the top gainers while Nifty Pharma, Nifty FMCCG and Nifty Financial Services are among the top losers.

Bharti Airtel, Power Grid and Hindalco are among the top gainers while Nestle India, Axis Bank and Apollo Hospitals are among the top losing stocks from the Nifty 50.

About 1317 stocks are advancing as against 772 stocks that are declining, thus indicating a positive sentiment in the broader market.

Market Update at 12:40 PM: In the current trading session benchmark indices trade higher as Sensex has substantially gained by 0.6 per cent, while Nifty also surged by 0.68 per cent. Similarly, in the broader markets Nifty Midcap has significantly gained by 0.9 per cent, whereas Nifty Smallcap has soared by 1.12 per cent.

India VIX is currently trading lower by 4.10 per cent, indicating a decrease in market volatility.

European markets are heading for a mixed open on Thursday, with sentiment tempered by declines stateside this week. European futures DAX, CAC and FTSE trade higher by 0.25 per cent, 0.36 per cent and 0.35 per cent respectively.

Nifty Metal, Nifty Media and Nifty Realty are among the top gainers while Nifty FMCG is the only major sector which is underperforming.

Bharti Airtel, Power Grid and Hindalco are among the top gainers while Nestle India, Axis Bank and Apollo Hospitals are among the top losing stocks from the Nifty 50.

About 1635 stocks are advancing as against to 466 stocks that are declining, thus indicating a positive sentiment in the broader market.

Market Update at 11:10 AM: In the ongoing trading session, Benchmark indices are trading on a positive note with Sensex surging by 0.38 per cent, while Nifty also gained by 0.48 per cent. Similarly, in the broader indices Nifty Midcap experience substantial gains of 0.71 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap has surged by 1.02 per cent.

India VIX is trading marginally lower by 3.53 per cent, indicating a decline in market volatility.

Nifty Media, Nifty Metal and Nifty PSU Bank are among the top gaining sectors while Nifty FMCG is the only major sector which is underperforming.

Top gainers in individual stocks are Power Grid, BPCL and Hindalco, whereas Nestle India, Apollo Hospitals and Axis Bank are among the top losers in the Nifty 50.

The broader market sentiment is positive, with 1561 stocks advancing compared to 509 stocks declining.

Market Update at 9:30 AM: On Thursday, Indian markets initiated the trading day on a positive note with Sensex opening moderately higher by 0.45 per cent, while Nifty also opened higher by 0.54 per cent. Similarly, in the broader indices Nifty Midcap opened substantially higher by 0.66 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap also opened higher higher by 0.94 per cent.

India VIX has declined by 3.57 per cent, indicating a decrease in market volatility.

Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Energy and Nifty Metal are among the top gainers while currently there are no major sectors which are underperforming.

BPCL, Power Grid and HDFC Life are among the top gainers while HCL Technologies, Axis Bank and Nestle India are among the top losing stocks from the Nifty 50.

About 1646 stocks are advancing as against to 311 stocks that are declining, thus indicating a positive sentiment in the broader market.

Pre-Market Update at 8:15 AM: On Wednesday US stocks ended lower as crude prices declined, and investors assessed cautious commentary from the US Federal Reserve alongside ongoing geopolitical tensions amidst mixed quarterly earnings reports.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 45.66 points, or 0.12 per cent, closing at 37,753.31, while the S&P 500 saw a loss of 29.2 points, or 0.58 per cent, finishing at 5,022.21. Similarly, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 181.88 points, or 1.15 per cent, to 15,683.37.

The GIFT Nifty trends suggest a neutral beginning for Indian Benchmark indices, showing a minimal loss of 3 points. Nifty futures were observed trading at approximately the 22,150.50 level.

In early Thursday trading, oil prices experienced a slight increase, partially offsetting losses from the previous session. This uptick followed announcements from the United States regarding the reinstatement of oil sanctions on Venezuela, coupled with discussions within the European Union concerning potential new restrictions on Iran.

Brent futures saw a rise of 10 cents, or 0.11 per cent, reaching USD 87.39 a barrel, while US crude futures increased by 2 cents to USD 82.71 a barrel. Both benchmarks had declined by 3 per cent in the prior session due to concerns about demand.

On April 16, 2024, foreign institutional investors (FII) offloaded shares worth Rs 4,468.09 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought shares worth Rs 2,040.38 crore.

Stocks that are banned for trading in the F&O segment on April 18, 2024, are BALRAMCHIN, BANDHANBNK, GNFC, HINDCOPPER, IDEA, METROPOLIS, NATIONALUM, PEL, SAIL and ZEEL.