Indian equity benchmarks ended lower in cautious trade on Friday as investors adopted a wait-and-watch approach ahead of the Union Budget 2025. The BSE Sensex slipped nearly 100 points, while the NSE Nifty 50 breached the crucial 25,300 mark amid profit booking in heavyweight stocks.
At the closing bell, the Sensex declined around 100 points to settle near 82,270, while the Nifty 50 fell below 25,300, weighed down by selling pressure in banking, IT, and metal stocks. Market participants remained guarded ahead of the Union Budget presentation, scheduled for February 1, with expectations of key policy announcements influencing sentiment. The Nifty 50 index opened at 25,333.75, registering a marginal gain of 13.10 points or 0.05%, while the BSE Sensex opened at 82,445.97, up by 176.19 points or 0.21%.
Twelve out of the 16 major sectors experienced declines. The metal index fell by 4.4%, reflecting a decrease in global metal prices due to a stronger dollar and profit-taking following a recent surge. While market has low expectations from the Budget 2026, any positive surprise could trigger a rally in the Indian benchmark indices, Nifty 50 and Sensex. Both the major stock exchanges, BSE and NSE, are open for a special trading session today on Budget day, 1 February 2026.