The key equity barometers traded with minor losses in early trade, supported by subdued cues from global markets and FII selling weighed on the sentiment. Trading activity remained muted due to absence of strong domestic triggers and the year-end holiday period. The Nifty traded below the 25,900 level.
Realty, PSU Bank and media shares leading the fall while metal, oil & gas and auto shares advanced.
At 09:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex declined 198.13 points or 0.23% to 84,497.41. The Nifty 50 index fell 53.80 points or 0.21% to 25,888.30.
The broader market underperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.38% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index shed 0.49%.
The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,072 shares rose and 1,768 shares fell. A total of 183 shares were unchanged.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 2,759.89 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,643.85 crore in the Indian equity market on 29 December 2025, provisional data showed.
Stocks in Spotlight:
Lupin rose 0.61%. The company said that it has entered into an exclusive License, Supply, and Distribution Agreement with China-based Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals for a novel fortnightly GLP-1 receptor agonist, Bofanglutide. Bofanglutide injection is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and for weight management in overweight or obese individuals.
Bharat Electronics (BEL) advanced 0.41%. The company said that it has received additional orders worth Rs 569 crore since December 12. These orders include radars, tank overhauls, communication equipment, fire control systems, simulators, antenna stabilisation systems, security software, components, upgrades, and spares.
Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) shed 0.56%. The company said that it has emerged as the lowest bidder for an order worth Rs 201.23 crore from East Coast Railway. The project involves setting up a wagon Periodic Overhaul (POH) workshop with a capacity of 200 wagons at Kantabanji.
Numbers to Track:
The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper fell 0.03% to 6.593 as compared with the previous close of 6.595.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 89.9250 compared with its close of 89.9825 during the previous trading session.
MCX Gold futures for 5 February 2026 settlement rose 0.56% to Rs 135,687.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.01% to 98.02.
The United States 10-year bond yield declined 0.05% to 4.115.
In the commodities market, Brent crude for February 2025 settlement fell 19 cents or 0.31% to $61.75 a barrel.
Global Markets:
Asia markets traded mixed on Tuesday, after the tech sell-down on Wall Street continued on AI bubble fears.
Investors will be focused on China’s military exercises around Taiwan, after the world’s second-largest economy announced new drills surrounding the island Monday.
Overnight in the U.S., stocks fell on Monday, spurred by losses in technology, after the S&P 500 scaled to record levels last week.
The S&P 500 dropped 0.35% and closed at 6,905.74, while the Nasdaq Composite shed 0.50% and settled at 23,474.35. The Dow Jones Industrial Average pulled back by 249.04 points, or 0.51%, and ended at 48,461.93.
Meanwhile, silver pulled back more than 6% after reaching $80 per ounce for the first time ever overnight. This comes as the precious metal has had a massive run-up in 2025, surging almost 150% to become one of the year’s hottest trades.