It was another weak session for the Indian stock market, as sentiment remained subdued amid stalled talks in the Middle East, which kept crude oil prices elevated. Weak participation from financial stocks also dragged the headline indices lower, extending their losing streak to the third straight session.
The Nifty fell 0.34% to 24,353, while the Sensex declined 0.13% to 77,861. The broader markets also ended lower. Among sectoral indices, metal, cement, financials, and auto were the top losers, while chemicals, FMCG, medial, and consumer durables ended in the green.
Crude oil prices cooled in Thursday’s trade after a six-day rally, but the recent run-up has rekindled inflation concerns, as India meets around 85% of its crude oil requirements through imports.
Iran and the US remained at loggerheads over efforts to agree on a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June.
Both the US and Iran have issued conflicting statements over control of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump again said that the US had “total control” over the waterway, while Iranian officials have disputed Trump’s repeated claims that Washington has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on Wednesday that the U.S. “has long miscalculated due to intelligence failures.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also reportedly moving towards imposing greater economic pressure on Iran, as the US military campaign has so far failed to force the regime to capitulate.
Metal stocks tumble; PhysicsWallah, Page Industries extend losing streak
Metal stocks were among the top laggards in Thursday’s trade, with NALCO leading the decline, falling 4.6% to ₹400 apiece. It was followed by SAIL, Hindalco Industries and Vedanta, all of which dropped by up to 3%.
Extending its losing streak for the fourth consecutive session, PhysicsWallah shares fell another 4.6% to ₹118 apiece, hitting their lowest level since June 19. Page Industries also remained under pressure for the fourth straight day, declining 4.7% to ₹36,520 apiece.
Aditya Infotech shares witnessed profit booking, falling 5% to ₹3,704 apiece after a nine-session uninterrupted winning run.
Other stocks such as Apar Industries, Force Motors, Balkrishna Industries, Minda Corporation, City Union Bank, Schneider Electric, Welspun Living, Poly Medicure, Kalpataru Projects, Berger Paints and Ather Energy also declined by more than 3%.
Astral, Solar Industries jump on strong Q1; Tata Motors gains on better margins
Better-than-expected Q1 performance drove strong buying interest in Astral and Solar Industries, with their shares gaining 8.7% and 8.5%, respectively. Netweb Technologies also reversed its recent losses, rebounding 4% to ₹5,181 apiece and moving closer to its all-time high.
Bharti Hexacom also recovered some of its recent losses, gaining 5.35% to ₹1,565 apiece. Cyient, Natco Pharma, Container Corporation of India, IFCI, Poonawalla Fincorp, and Clean Science & Technology also ended higher, gaining more than 4% each.
Higher-than-expected margins in the June quarter triggered a 4% jump in Tata Motors shares. Other gainers included Wockhardt, APL Apollo Tubes, eClerx Services, NMDC Steel, Radico Khaitan, Prime Focus, BLS International, and Tata Technologies, all of which gained more than 3%.
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