Bourses trim some losses in early afternoon session

Indian markets trimmed some of their losses but continued to trade in red in early afternoon session. As for broader indices, the BSE Mid cap index and Small cap index traded in red. Losses got trimmed as Ministry of Commerce & Industry in its latest data has showed that the output of eight key infrastructure sectors jumped to a 13-month high of 6.3 per cent in August 2025 on account of expansion in coal, steel, and cement production. Sector wise, agriculture stocks remained in limelight as Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh has said that India’s kharif foodgrain production is likely to surpass the government's target of 171.39 million tonne (MT) set for the 2025-26 crop year (July-June) buoyed by higher coverage and favourable monsoon rains.

On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly in green amid expectations of further interest rate cuts by the US Fed. However, escalating tensions in Europe and the Middle East are weighing on market sentiment. 

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 81974.24, down by 185.73 points or 0.23% after trading in a range of 81776.53 and 82307.50. There were 11 stocks advancing against 19 stocks declining on the index.

The broader indices were trading in red; the BSE Mid cap index declined 0.26%, while Small cap index was down by 0.33%.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Auto up by 0.87%, Telecom up by 0.17%, Bankex up by 0.13%, Metal up by 0.06% and PSU was up by 0.05%, while FMCG down by 0.98%, Realty down by 0.86%, Consumer Durables down by 0.72%, TECK down by 0.54% and Capital Goods was down by 0.49% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Maruti Suzuki up by 1.84%, Bajaj Finance up by 1.75%, Mahindra & Mahindra up by 0.96%, Bajaj Finserv up by 0.83% and Axis Bank up by 0.80%. On the flip side, Ultratech Cement down by 1.91%, Trent down by 1.71%, Tech Mahindra down by 1.54%, Hindustan Unilever down by 1.23% and Asian Paints down by 1.10% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral defence relationship, India and Morocco have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and Morocco’s Defence Minister Abdeltif Loudiyi held a bilateral meeting in Rabat on September 22, 2025, where both ministers signed a MoU. The MoU provides for a robust institutional framework to the growing partnership and paves the way for collaboration in defence industry, joint exercises, military training and capacity building.

Both leaders decided to intensify defence industry collaboration and agreed on a comprehensive roadmap covering counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber defence, peacekeeping operations, military medicine, and expert exchanges. The discussions between the two Ministers reflected the shared resolve to further strengthen the longstanding friendship between India and Morocco.

To give momentum to these initiatives, Raksha Mantri announced the opening of a new Defence Wing at the Embassy of India in Rabat. He also highlighted the maturity of India’s defence industry and its cutting-edge capabilities, including drone and counter-drone technologies, assuring the Moroccan side that Indian companies are well-positioned to meet the requirements of Morocco’s defence forces.

Both Ministers underscored the importance of enhancing exchanges between Armed Forces, facilitating training programmes and exploring opportunities for co-development and co-production in the defence sector. They also stressed the need for multilateral cooperation to address global and regional security challenges and welcomed closer coordination in maritime security given the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean and Atlantic corridors.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 25136.45, down by 65.90 points or 0.26% after trading in a range of 25084.65 and 25250.85. There were 19 stocks advancing against 31 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Maruti Suzuki up by 1.75%, Bajaj Finance up by 1.65%, Eicher Motors up by 1.64%, Adani Enterprises up by 1.58% and Indusind Bank up by 1.40%. On the flip side, Ultratech Cement down by 1.99%, Nestle down by 1.83%, Trent down by 1.79%, Tech Mahindra down by 1.67% and HDFC Life Insurance down by 1.62% were the top losers.

Asian markets were mostly in green; Taiwan Weighted added 366.77 points or 1.4% to 26,247.37, Jakarta Composite gained 41.5 points or 0.51% to 8,081.54, KOSPI increased 17.54 points or 0.5% to 3,486.19 and Straits Times was up by 10.36 points or 0.24% to 4,307.73. On the flip side, Shanghai Composite weakened 34.27 points or 0.9% to 3,794.31 and Hang Seng was down by 172.14 points or 0.66% to 26,172.00.