Sensex, Nifty End 4-Day Losing Streak; Mid & Small Caps Lag Behind

The Indian stock market snapped a four-day losing streak on Thursday, December 4, as benchmarks managed modest gains. While the Sensex and Nifty 50 inched higher, midcap and smallcap stocks continued to face pressure.

Market Performance Snapshot

• Sensex: Closed at 85,265.32, up 159 points (0.19%)
• Nifty 50: Ended at 26,033.75, up 48 points (0.18%)
• BSE Midcap: Down 0.19%
• BSE Smallcap: Dropped 0.32%

The markets moved cautiously ahead of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) policy announcement scheduled for Friday, December 5. Gains were modest, supported by buying in select heavyweight stocks, while persistent foreign capital outflows and a weak rupee restrained the upside.

Key Movers of the Day

Top Contributors in Sensex

• Infosys and TCS led gains, supported by positive sentiment in the IT sector.

Top Drags on Sensex

• Banking giants HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank weighed on the index, limiting overall upside.

Sectoral Performance

• Nifty IT Index: Jumped 1.41%, emerging as the top gainer among sectoral indices.
• Nifty Bank Index: Slightly down by 0.10% to 59,288.70.
• Consumer Durables: Fell 0.62%
• Media Index: Declined sharply by 1.45%

The IT sector’s strength came on optimism over potential US Federal Reserve rate cuts and favourable currency movements, boosting tech-heavy stocks.

Most Active Stocks by Volume (NSE)

• Vodafone Idea: 120 crore shares traded
• PC Jeweller: 22.45 crore shares traded
• YES Bank: 13.56 crore shares traded

Notable Gainers and Losers

• Top Nifty Gainers: Tech Mahindra (+1.51%), HDFC Life Insurance (+1.49%), TCS (+1.48%)
• Top Nifty Losers: InterGlobe Aviation (-2.39%), Reliance Industries (-0.88%), Hindalco Industries (-0.65%)

Additionally, around 18 stocks on the BSE surged more than 10%, including Magnum Ventures, Agri-Tech (India), STEL Holdings, VIP Clothing, and Salona Cotspin.

Breadth of the Market

• Stocks Advanced: 1,807
• Stocks Declined: 2,314
• Unchanged: 181
• 52-Week Highs: 80 stocks, including Vedanta, Hero MotoCorp, and Asian Paints
• 52-Week Lows: 261 stocks, including Colgate Palmolive (India), IREDA, and Patanjali Foods

Summary

The market’s modest recovery on Thursday reflected cautious optimism ahead of the RBI policy update. While large-cap IT stocks helped lift benchmarks, midcap and small-cap indices underperformed. Investors continue to watch heavyweight stocks and sectoral movements closely as global cues and domestic developments shape market trends.