Dalal Street faced another challenging session on Thursday, March 12, as Indian stock markets continued their slide for the second consecutive day. Key indices fell around 1%, reflecting investor jitters amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Concerns over prolonged instability kept markets cautious, impacting corporate sentiment.
The Nifty 50 lost 1% to settle at 24,639, marking the lowest level since April 2025. The S&P BSE Sensex dropped 1.08%, closing at 76,013, extending its recent four-session fall to nearly 3,000 points.
Meanwhile, broader markets outperformed slightly:
- Nifty Midcap 100 fell 0.37%
- Nifty Smallcap 100 declined 0.67%
Market Performance Overview
Auto and FMCG stocks faced heavy pressure, while oil, gas, and select power sectors saw modest gains:
- Nifty Auto: -3.32% (Month-to-date drop: 11%)
- Nifty FMCG: -1%
- Nifty Private Bank: -1%
- Nifty Realty: -1%
On the upside:
- Nifty Oil & Gas: +0.45%
- Nifty Chemicals: +0.44%
- Nifty Metal: +0.33%
Major Losers: Piramal Pharma, Tejas Networks, IndusInd Bank
The market’s slide was led by sharp declines in pharma, telecom, and banking stocks:
- Piramal Pharma tumbled 6.36% to ₹145.54, its lowest since June 2024.
- Tejas Networks fell 6.23% to ₹442.95, erasing recent gains.
- IndusInd Bank slipped 5.22% to ₹831.35, bringing its month-to-date decline to 13%, the largest monthly drop since March 2025.
Auto stocks remained under pressure with broad-based selling:
- TVS Motor Company: -5%
- Mahindra & Mahindra, Eicher Motors, Maruti Suzuki India, Ashok Leyland, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Motors PV: all down over 3%
In FMCG, top decliners included:
- Varun Beverages: -4.7%
- Colgate-Palmolive: -4%
- Godrej Consumer Products, Dabur India, Britannia Industries, United Spirits, ITC: down between 1.6% and 3.6%
Other notable losses:
- PG Electroplast, Jyothy Labs, Vedant Fashions, Larsen & Toubro, Five-Star Business Finance, Honasa Consumer, Karur Vysya Bank: all declined over 3%
Top Gainers: NTPC Green Energy, Adani Power, JSW Energy
Power and renewable energy stocks bucked the broader market trend, recording strong gains:
- NTPC Green Energy, Adani Power, JSW Energy, Torrent Power, Tata Power Company, Reliance Power, Jaiprakash Power Ventures: up 4%–12.6%
Other notable winners included:
- CEAT: +7%, marking the third consecutive session of gains, closing at ₹3,844
- Adani Total Gas: +7.2%, cumulative three-day rise of 30%, closing at ₹609.50
- KPR Mill: +12.2% to ₹909
- NLC India: +6.8% to ₹265.25
Additional stocks posting gains between 4.7%–6% included Linde India, Saregama India, SRF, Coal India, Balkrishna Industries, Bharat Heavy Electricals.
Summary
March 12 was a tough day for Dalal Street, with auto, FMCG, and banking sectors leading the declines. Broader indices underperformed amid geopolitical concerns, while power and renewable energy stocks offered some relief. Investors witnessed sharp sectoral divergences, highlighting ongoing market volatility.
- Market sentiment: cautious, driven by Middle East tensions
- Key sectors hit: Auto, FMCG, Banking
- Key sectors gaining: Power, Renewable Energy, Chemicals
Source: Livemint
Easy & quick
Leave A Comment?