Although losses were limited on Friday (August 29), both benchmark indices extended their losing streak for a third straight session as investor sentiment remained weak, weighed down by higher US tariffs and their potential impact on various sectors.
Despite starting the session on a positive note, continued weakness in select heavyweights erased most of the gains and pushed the markets into losses. The Nifty 50 closed with a drop of 0.3% at 24,426 points, while the S&P BSE Sensex ended 0.34% lower, slipping below the 80,000 mark to settle at 79,809 points.
The broader markets also ended with sharp losses, as the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 indices fell over 0.5% each. All major sectoral indices closed lower, barring the Nifty FMCG and Nifty Consumer Durables index. Among the worst hit were Nifty Realty and Nifty Oil and Gas, which declined 1.44% and 1.12%, respectively.
The recent sell-off has led both the Nifty and the Sensex to log their second consecutive monthly drop, with each losing over 1% in August. Sustained outflows from overseas investors have weighed heavily on domestic equities, with FPIs pulling out more than ₹38,590 crore in August so far.
