Stock market ends on mixed note, insurance firms' stock rise
New Delhi, Sep 17 (UNI) The Indian stock market ended on a mixed note with the indices slipping into marginally red.
However, the Nifty retained gains. At the 3:30 pm post-CAS close, the Sensex was down 21.86 points, or 0.03 percent, at 74,314.59, while the Nifty gained 53 points, or 0.23 percent, to 23,270.60. Broader markets outperformed, with midcaps up 0.92 percent and smallcaps gaining 0.71 percent. Among the sectors, Realty and pharma rose more than 1.5 percent, while media gained 1.35 percent and auto and metals advanced around 1 percent each, while on the other hand, banking indices ended lower.
Market breadth was firmly positive, with 2,480 advances against 1,487 declines, while India VIX fell nearly 7 percent. The stocks of insurance firms rose up to 5 percent, with HDFC Life and SBI Life Insurance Company the gainers. Max Financial Services rose 4.5 percent, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company gained 3.2 percent, while The New India Assurance Company rose 7 percent. Oil prices extended a decline on signs that supply disruptions in the Middle East are set to ease.
Brent traded below $102 a barrel after losing 2.7%. Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited said, "The anticipated Fed rate hike, along with easing bond yields, offered temporary support to global equities and reinforced expectations of gradually moderating inflation.
"Despite this, domestic markets remained volatile but ended higher, supported by value buying following the recent correction. Investor sentiment is likely to stay cautious amid concerns over a possible broader rate-tightening cycle, driven by ongoing Middle East tensions and the risk of U.S. tariff."
"Mid- and small-cap stocks continued to outperform as investors favored companies with strong earnings visibility, solid order books, and healthy balance sheets, particularly in the capital goods, industrial, defence, power, and healthcare sectors," he added.
