Indian markets struggled to hold onto early gains on Monday, January 5, as investors booked profits and cautious sentiment crept in. Technology stocks bore the brunt, while sectors like realty, auto, and metals offered some relief.
The Nifty 50 ended the day at 26,250, down 0.32%, and the Sensex slipped 0.38% to 85,439. Meanwhile, broader markets painted a mixed picture. The Nifty Midcap 100 fell 0.16%, but the Nifty Smallcap 100 managed a 0.53% gain, signaling that market breadth still had pockets of bullishness.
A weekend US military operation in Venezuela, which led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, added a geopolitical overlay. However, the market impact remained modest as investors focused on domestic sector performance.
Sector Performance: IT Stocks Drag, Realty and Metals Gain
Sector-wise, Nifty IT emerged as the biggest drag, losing 1.52%, followed by Nifty Oil & Gas down 1% and Nifty Pharma slipping 0.28%.
The tech sell-off was influenced by concerns over US tariffs on Indian imports, particularly linked to Russian crude purchases. Meanwhile, defensive and growth-oriented sectors managed gains:
- Nifty Realty jumped 2.3%
- Nifty Consumer Durables rose 1%
- Nifty FMCG increased 0.71%
- Nifty Metal added 0.60%
Across Asia, India was the lone laggard. Key indices like Nikkei 225, Kospi, and Shanghai Composite rose 3%, 3.4%, and 1.4%, respectively, supported by renewed buying in technology stocks and continued momentum in AI-linked shares.
Top Losers: Ather Energy Leads the Decline
Profit-booking dominated among recent gainers. Ather Energy was the steepest loser among Nifty 500 stocks, falling 7.7% to ₹684.9. Other major decliners included:
- Premier Energies, Sapphire Foods India, Devyani International, Waaree Energies, Reliance Infrastructure – all down over 5%
- Transformers & Rectifiers dropped 3.5% to ₹324, after last week’s 16% rally
- IDBI Bank slipped 3.3% to ₹111 following strong gains last week
- Vodafone Idea down 3% to ₹11.43
- HDFC Bank declined 2.4% to ₹977.5
Large-cap IT counters also suffered: Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies each fell over 2%.
Other stocks facing losses included DMart, which dropped 2% to ₹3,646, marking a 10-month low intraday, along with JBM Auto, IRFC, Gravita India, Swiggy, Lemon Tree Hotels, Oil India, Ceat, Asahi India Glass with declines of up to 2%.
Top Gainers: Ola Electric and Netweb Lead Rally
On the upside, select Nifty 500 stocks saw strong buying. Netweb Technologies surged 8.3%, while Ola Electric Mobility jumped 7.4%. Other notable gainers included:
- Metropolis Healthcare +6.1%
- Sobha +5.8%
- SJVN +5.6%
EMS stocks also attracted attention: PG Electroplast +4.6%, Amber Enterprises India +3.5%.
Voltas extended its winning streak to four sessions, climbing 3.26% to ₹1,476. Brainbees Solutions stayed positive for a fifth straight day, ending at ₹299.75, up 3.3%.
Other gainers rounding off the top performers were Motherson Sumi Wiring, Cyient, Sai Life Sciences, JK Cement, Solar Industries India, and five additional Nifty 500 stocks with gains up to 3%.
Summary
Monday’s session highlighted the market’s cautious mood. Profit-booking in tech and recent gainers weighed on indices, while realty, metals, and select consumer sectors offered stability.
- Nifty 50: 26,250, ↓0.32%
- Sensex: 85,439, ↓0.38%
- Top losers: Ather Energy, IDBI Bank, Vodafone Idea, HDFC Bank
- Top gainers: Netweb Technologies, Ola Electric, Metropolis Healthcare, Sobha, SJVN
Market breadth showed small-cap resilience even as large-caps fell, indicating investors are still exploring opportunities selectively.
Source: Livemint
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