Closing Bell: Nifty slips below 26,150, Sensex falls 102 points; pharma and IT outperform, autos drag

The Indian equity markets extended their losing streak for the third consecutive session, with the Sensex declining 102 points and the Nifty closing below the 26,150 mark. Over the last three days, the Sensex has lost more than 1,100 points, while the Nifty has corrected nearly 1%, weighed down by multiple headwinds. Benchmark indices remained under pressure amid persistent selling in heavyweight stocks, geopolitical tensions linked to Venezuela, and weak global cues. The broader market reflected a clear risk-off sentiment, with heightened volatility driven by macroeconomic uncertainty, foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, and pressure on large-cap stocks. Despite the overall weakness, select stocks managed to gain.

, , , , and Financial Services emerged as key gainers on the Nifty. On the downside, Cipla, Maruti Suzuki, Max Healthcare, Passenger Vehicles, and led the losses. In the broader market, the BSE Midcap index advanced 0.5%, while the Smallcap index edged up 0.12%. Sectorally, consumer durables, IT, and pharma stocks rose between 0.5% and 1.8%, whereas auto, oil & gas, realty, and telecom sectors declined around 0.5% each. On January 7, Indian benchmark indices continued their downward trend amid volatile trade, driven by rising geopolitical risks, sustained FII selling, and weak Asian market performance, pushing the Nifty below the key 26,150 level. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.