Sensex, Nifty end lower as investors book profits

Mumbai, May 17 The Indian stock markets ended lower on Friday as investors chose to book profits after recent gains.

Both benchmark indices -- Sensex and Nifty -- closed in the red in the final trading session of the week.

The Sensex dropped by 200.15 points, or 0.24 per cent, to settle at 82,330.59. During the day, it moved between a high of 82,514.81 and a low of 82,146.95.

Similarly, the Nifty slipped by 42.30 points, or 0.17 per cent, to close at 25,019.80. The Nifty remained in consolidation mode, taking a breather after Thursday's rally.

"Indicators and overlays are consistently pointing towards further strength in the short term. Any dips are likely to be bought into, with support placed at 25,000/24,800,” said Rupak De of LKP Securities.

On the higher side, a move above 25,120 could take the index towards 25,250/25,350, he added.

While the headline indices saw declines, the broader market showed strong performance.

Small-cap and mid-cap stocks outperformed, with the Nifty Smallcap100 gaining 1.86 per cent and the Nifty Midcap100 rising 0.94 per cent.

Among the Sensex-listed companies, Eternal (formerly Zomato), Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, ITC, and IndusInd Bank were the top gainers.

Their stocks rose between 0.60 per cent and 1.20 per cent.

On the flip side, Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech, State Bank of India, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra were among the top losers, with declines ranging from 0.79 per cent to 2.76 per cent.

Sector-wise, the markets closed on a mixed note. On the NSE, indices like Nifty IT, Metal, Pharma and Healthcare ended in the red, posting losses of up to 0.84 per cent.

On the other hand, several sectors saw gains, with Nifty Realty emerging as the top performer, closing 1.6 per cent higher.

The market volatility gauge, India VIX, also known as the fear index, declined by 2.02 per cent to settle at 16.55 points on Friday -- indicating a slight easing in market uncertainty.

“The overall mood in the market was cautious, as investors chose to lock in profits at higher levels after a strong run-up in recent sessions,” market experts said.

The Indian rupee ended slightly higher on Friday at 85.51 against the US dollar, compared to Thursday's closing rate of 85.54.

“Looking ahead, the USD-INR spot rate is expected to find support around the 84.90 level, while facing resistance near 85.94,” Dilip Parmar of HDFC Securities said.

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