Key gauges trade lower in morning deals

Indian equity markets were trading lower in morning deals, on account of selling in TCS, Asian Paints, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Sun Pharma and Hindustan Unilever companies’ stocks. Traders were cautious as foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,499.81 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data. However, losses remain capped as traders took some support with Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran’s statement that economic growth serves as the most robust and sustainable path to financial inclusion for India. He said ‘when an economy is generating jobs, incomes, markets and demand, people do not need to be forced into the financial system. They enter naturally...because they see opportunities, they invest, because the future looks larger than the present.’ Sector-wise, Auto stocks remained in watch as Industry body SIAM stated that Passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers raced to the highest ever sales mark in a calendar year in 2025 as a reduction in prices due to GST reforms led to robust sales in the festive season. On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly in green as report showing US consumer prices increased in line with estimates, while core consumer prices rose by slightly less than expected, has added to recent optimism about the outlook for interest rates.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 83386.11, down by 241.58 points or 0.29% after trading in a range of 83288.13 and 83715.93. There were 11 stocks advancing against 19 stocks declining on the index. 

The broader indices were trading mixed; the BSE Mid cap index was down by 0.05%, while Small cap index was up by 0.07%.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Metal up by 2.22%, Basic Materials up by 1.18%, Power up by 0.87%, Energy up by 0.76% and Utilities up by 0.71%, while Realty down by 1.08%, IT down by 0.89%, TECK down by 0.67%, Consumer Durables down by 0.55% and Consumer Discretionary down by 0.44% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Tata Steel up by 2.52%, NTPC up by 2.06%, Axis Bank up by 1.91%, Bharat Electronics up by 1.17% and Reliance Industries up by 0.30%. On the flip side, TCS down by 1.72%, Asian Paints down by 1.61%, Kotak Mahindra Bank down by 1.39%, Sun Pharma down by 1.13% and Hindustan Unilever down by 1.01% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has said that passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers raced to the highest ever sales mark in a calendar year in 2025, driven by strong festive-season demand as goods and services tax (GST) reforms led to lower prices. It said overall passenger vehicle wholesales rose 5 per cent year-on-year to 44,89,717 units last year, compared with 42,74,793 units in the 2024 calendar year. Utility vehicle dispatches stood at 29,54,279 units last year, up 7 per cent as compared with 27,49,932 units in 2024. Passenger car wholesales edged up to 13,79,884 units, while van dispatches increased by 1 per cent last year compared with the 2024 calendar year.

The three-wheeler and commercial vehicle segments also recorded their highest-ever dispatches in a calendar year in 2025. Three-wheeler dispatches rose to 7,88,429 units last year, up 8 per cent as compared to 7,28,670 units in 2024. Similarly, commercial vehicle dispatches stood at 10,27,877 units, up 8 per cent against 9,54,051 units in the 2024 calendar year. Two-wheeler sales stood at 2,05,00,639 units last year, up 5 per cent as compared with 1,95,43,093 units in 2024.

SIAM President Shailesh Chandra said 2025 proved to be a landmark year for the Indian auto industry. The year began with a subdued first half, and the industry continued to navigate supply-side challenges. With multiple structural policy reforms, including the income tax relief, successive repo rate cuts and the roll-out of GST 2.0, the foundation for a positive demand environment.  He added that the reduction in GST rates made vehicles more affordable and gave fresh momentum to the sector. Further, he said the industry expects the good growth to continue into 2026, supported by stable macroeconomic conditions, improving affordability, and continued policy support.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 25686.60, down by 45.70 points or 0.18% after trading in a range of 25638.35 and 25761.50. There were 23 stocks advancing against 27 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Tata Steel up by 2.59%, NTPC up by 2.46%, Coal India up by 2.38%, Axis Bank up by 1.98% and ONGC up by 1.71%. On the flip side, TCS down by 1.81%, Asian Paints down by 1.76%, Kotak Mahindra Bank down by 1.67%, Eicher Motors down by 1.55% and ICICI Bank down by 1.30% were the top losers.

Asian markets were trading mostly in green; Nikkei 225 surged 766.84 points or 1.43% to 54,316.00, Taiwan Weighted added 137.66 points or 0.45% to 30,844.88, Jakarta Composite gained 79.92 points or 0.89% to 9,028.22, Shanghai Composite strengthened 0.11 points to 4,138.87, KOSPI increased 12.34 points or 0.26% to 4,704.98 and Hang Seng advanced 85.53 points or 0.32% to 26,934.00.

On the flip side, Straits Times fell 7.3 points or 0.15% to 4,799.83.