Post Session: Quick Review

Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Monday, dragged down by losses in heavyweight stocks, including ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, and Wipro. Markets made a negative start and remained under selling pressure throughout the session, as traders were cautious amid concerns over escalating geopolitical tensions and tariff-related issues.

Some of the important factors in trade:

Rising US yields trigger Rs 22,530 crore FPIs outflows from Indian equities: Sentiments remained down beat as foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) withdrew over Rs 22,530 crore ($2.5 billion) from Indian equities so far this month amid rising US bond yields and a stronger dollar, continuing their selling streak from last year.

Crisil warns India’s merchandise exports to face headwinds: Traders remained cautious as Crisil Ratings’ report warned that India’s merchandise exports are likely to face strong headwinds due to uncertainty persists over India's trade negotiations with the United States (US) and concerns grow over further US tariffs on Russian crude oil purchases.  

CII’s Business Confidence Index climbs to five-quarter high of 66.5 in Q3FY26: Traders took note of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) statement that its Business Confidence Index (BCI) climbed to a five-quarter high of 66.5 in Q3 FY26, driven by optimism around demand, profitability, and investment conditions.   

Global front: European markets were trading in red amid lingering geopolitical tensions and ahead of the December consumer inflation data for the eurozone due later in the day.  Asian equity markets ended mostly in green, despite Japan's industrial production decreased more than initially estimated in November.  

The BSE Sensex ended at 83246.18, down by 324.17 points or 0.39% after trading in a range of 82898.31 and 83539.93. There were 16 stocks advancing against 14 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The broader indices ended in red; the BSE Mid cap index was down by 0.43%, while Small cap index down by 1.28%. (Provisional)

The few gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were FMCG up by 0.39%, Capital Goods up by 0.37% and Auto up by 0.11%, while Realty down by 1.94%, Energy down by 1.50%, Oil & Gas down by 1.32%, Telecom down by 1.08% and Utilities down by 0.94% were the top losing indices on BSE. (Provisional)

The top gainers on the Sensex were Interglobe Aviation up by 3.97%, Tech Mahindra up by 2.85%, Hindustan Unilever up by 2.10%, Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 2.02% and Maruti Suzuki up by 1.96%. On the flip side, Reliance Industries down by 3.04%, ICICI Bank down by 2.26%, Eternal down by 2.19%, Titan Company down by 1.40% and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone down by 1.39% were the top losers. (Provisional)

Meanwhile, the Textile Ministry has said that the exports of textiles and apparel from India have demonstrated resilience and steady growth in December 2025, despite a subdued global trade environment and the steep 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the US, the country's largest export market for textiles and apparel industry. 

The ministry noted that the sector recorded positive growth for the second consecutive month, with exports rising by 0.40% year-on-year to $3.27 billion in December 2025, following strong growth in November. The sustained uptick reflects the sector's adaptability, diversified market presence, and strength in value-added and labour-intensive segments. In December 2025, the key segments like handicrafts (7.2 per cent), ready-made garments (2.89 per cent), and MMF yarn, fabrics, and made-ups (3.99 per cent), have registered considerable growth. These trends underline India's competitive advantage in value-added manufacturing, traditional crafts, and employment-intensive production, even amid volatile global demand conditions.   

It further said on a calendar year-basis (January-December 2025), textile and apparel exports remained stable at $37.54 billion, with notable cumulative growth in handicrafts (17.5 per cent), ready-made garments (3.5 per cent), and jute products (3.5 per cent). Stability at this scale, despite geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures in key markets, reflects the sector's structural strength and diversified export basket. 

The CNX Nifty ended at 25585.50, down by 108.85 points or 0.42% after trading in a range of 25494.35 and 25653.30. There were 20 stocks advancing against 30 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The top gainers on Nifty were Interglobe Aviation up by 4.25%, Tech Mahindra up by 2.86%, Hindustan Unilever up by 2.27%, Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 2.08% and Bajaj Finance up by 2.02%. On the flip side, Wipro down by 8.04%, Reliance Industries down by 3.04%, Tata Motors Passenger down by 2.71%, Max Healthcare Inst down by 2.26% and Eternal down by 2.21% were the top losers. (Provisional)

European markets were trading lower; France’s CAC fell 108.94 points or 1.32% to 8,150.00, Germany’s DAX lost 261.53 points or 1.03% to 25,035.60 and UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 52.49 points or 0.51% to 10,182.80.

Asian markets ended mixed on Monday tracking Wall Streets’ fall last Friday amid renewed concerns over the Federal Reserve's independence after US President Trump suggested National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett may not be his choice to become the next Federal Reserve chair, prompting traders to dial back expectations for rate cuts. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's announcement of new tariffs on European countries over Greenland and the release of mixed Chinese economic data have also kept market sentiments mixed. Official data showed that China's economy grew at a slower pace of 4.5% in Q4 from 4.8% in the previous quarter, but full-year 2025 growth came in as expected at 5%. Japanese shares declined as the yen rallied on safe haven demand due to rising geopolitical tensions over Greenland, while weak Japanese industrial output and core machinery data also weighed on market sentiments.