Benchmark indices extended losses in afternoon trade on Tuesday, with the BSE Sensex down 132.83 points or 0.16 per cent to 84,562.71 and the NSE Nifty 50 declining 43.20 points or 0.17 per cent to 25,898.90 at 12.55 pm. The Sensex had opened at 84,600.99 against its previous close of 84,695.54, while the Nifty opened at 25,940.90 against Monday’s close of 25,942.10.
Trading remained subdued as participants exercised caution ahead of the December derivatives expiry, with thin year-end volumes and continued foreign fund outflows weighing on sentiment. This marked the fifth consecutive session of weakness for the benchmarks, which had declined sharply on Monday with the Sensex falling 346 points and the Nifty dropping 100 points.
Market breadth remained negative, with 2,272 stocks declining against 1,693 advances on the BSE, while 190 stocks remained unchanged. As many as 149 stocks hit 52-week lows compared to 90 stocks touching 52-week highs. Some 164 stocks were locked in upper circuits, while 133 hit lower circuits.
Among Nifty 50 constituents, Shriram Finance led gains, rising 2.25 per cent to ₹977.00, followed by Hindalco Industries, which advanced 1.94 per cent to ₹881.75. Axis Bank gained 1.33 per cent to ₹1,248.40, while Mahindra & Mahindra climbed 1.18 per cent to ₹3,634.50 and Bajaj Auto added 1.13 per cent to ₹9,189.50.
On the losing side, Max Healthcare Institute dropped 2.88 per cent to ₹1,033.50, emerging as the top laggard. Eicher Motors fell 2.09 per cent to ₹276.95, while Apollo Hospitals Enterprise declined 2.01 per cent to ₹6,942.00. InterGlobe Aviation shed 1.67 per cent to ₹5,000.50 and SBI Life Insurance Company lost 1.62 per cent to ₹1,977.30.
Broader indices underperformed benchmarks, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index falling 0.40 per cent to 59,762.55 and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index declining 0.83 per cent to 17,422.45. The Nifty Next 50 dropped 0.37 per cent to 68,386.05.
Sectoral performance was mixed, with the Nifty Financial Services index down 0.33 per cent to 27,274.25, while the Nifty Bank index managed marginal gains of 0.01 per cent to 58,935.60, defying the broader trend.