Sensex drops 721 points; investors lose ₹6.5 lakh crore in a day— 10 key highlights from the Indian stock market today

The Indian stock market ended with significant losses for the second consecutive session on Friday, July 25.

The Sensex closed 721 points, or 0.88 per cent, down at 81,463.09, while the Nifty 50 settled 225 points, or 0.90 per cent, lower at 24,837.

The market saw an overall sell-off, and the mid- and small-cap segments ended with even deeper losses. The BSE Midcap index declined 1.46 per cent, while the Smallcap index crashed 1.88 per cent.

Investors lost nearly ₹6.5 lakh crore in a single day as the cumulative market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms dropped to nearly ₹451.7 lakh crore from ₹458.11 lakh crore in the previous session.

Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day

1. Why did the share market fall for the second consecutive session?

Weak earnings, delayed India-US trade deal, relentless foreign capital outflow amid stretched valuation of the domestic market are the key factors behind the market’s downtrend.

“Subdued corporate results and lacklustre global cues triggered a broad-based sell-off across domestic equities. Elevated valuations in large-cap stocks, coupled with significant net short positions held by FIIs, added to the downward pressure,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments, observed.

“Investor sentiment remained fragile amid ongoing uncertainty over US-India tariff negotiations and the ECB maintaining the status quo, with rate cuts deferred until clearer insights emerge on the inflationary impact of trade developments. Moderation in DII inflows after the strong buying of the last two to three months, due to a muted earnings season and persistent FII selling, continues to impact the current market,” said Nair.

2. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index

Only seven stocks managed to end in the green in the Nifty 50 index, among which Cipla (up 3.17 per cent), SBI Life Insurance Company (up 2.07 per cent), and Apollo Hospitals (up 1.50 per cent) stood at the top.

3. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index

Shares of Bajaj Finance (down 4.81 per cent), Shriram Finance (down 3.64 per cent), and IndusInd Bank (down 2.64 per cent) ended as the top losers in the index.

4. Sectoral indices today

Barring Nifty Healthcare (up 0.69 per cent) and Pharma (up 0.54 per cent), all sectoral indices ended with losses, with Media (down 2.61 per cent), Oil & Gas (down 1.96 per cent), PSU Bank (down 1.70 per cent), and Metal (down 1.64 per cent) losing heavily.

Nifty Bank dropped 0.94 per cent, while the Financial Services ended 0.88 per cent lower.

5. Most active stocks in terms of volume

Jayaswal Neco Industries (34.72 crore shares), Vodafone Idea (23.83 crore shares), and Ola Electric Mobility (13.61 crore shares) were the most active stocks in terms of volume on the NSE.

6. 15 stocks jump over 10% on BSE

Defying weak market sentiment, 15 stocks, including The Phosphate Company, Aashka Hospitals, Sharda Cropchem, Kellton Tech Solutions, Sharika Enterprises, and Vimta Labs, surged over 10 per cent on the BSE.

7. Seven stocks crash over 10%

B-Right Realestate, Eighty Jewellers, Jonjua Overseas, and Hexaware Technologies were among the seven stocks that crashed more than 10 per cent on the BSE.

8. Advance-decline ratio

Out of 4,154 stocks traded on the BSE, 1,116 advanced, while 2,893 declined. Some 145 stocks remained unchanged.

9. 111 stocks hit 52-week highs

While the stock market ended with significant losses, as many as 111 stocks, including ICICI Bank, eClerx Services, Home First Finance Company India, Laurus Labs, Sai Life Sciences, Shyam Metalics and Energy, and Torrent Pharmaceuticals, hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade.

10. Nifty’s technical outlook

Praveen Dwarakanath, Vice President of Hedged.in, pointed out that the Nifty sharply fell from its resistance of 25,200 and closed near its support at 24,800, indicating a possible bounce in the index from the current level.

Dwarakanath further highlighted that the index has closed near the lower Bollinger band, a support from which can push the index upside.

The momentum indicators in today’s fall have entered the oversold region, which can also push the markets upward from current levels.

Dwarakanath also said the index is at a strong weekly buy level between 24,600 and 24,800. A bounce from this level can present a strong selling opportunity near the 25,200 levels.

Read all market-related news here

Read more stories by Nishant Kumar

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations expressed are those of individual analysts or broking firms, not Mint. We advise investors to consult with certified experts before making any investment decisions, as market conditions can change rapidly and circumstances may vary.