Market Close Report, July 24, 2026: Sensex, Nifty Decline For Fifth Day As Elevated Oil, Iran War Hurt Stocks

Mumbai, July 24: Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Friday, extending their losing streak to a fifth straight session, as persistent global uncertainty, elevated crude oil prices and stock-specific selling kept investors cautious. The Sensex declined 331.62 points, or 0.43%, to close at 76,059.77, while the Nifty 50 fell 102.15 points, or 0.43%, to end at 23,767.45. The Nifty slipped below the 23,800 mark, with selling pressure concentrated in auto, metal and energy stocks, while gains in information technology and media shares offered some support. 

Sensex, Nifty End Lower; Market Breadth Remains Mixed 

The domestic market remained under pressure through most of the session, although the broader indices recovered from their intraday lows. At the close, around 2,050 stocks advanced on the NSE, while 1,961 declined and 196 remained unchanged, pointing to a mixed market breadth. 

The Nifty Midcap 100 ended largely flat, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined 0.3%, indicating that the selloff was relatively contained in the broader market despite weakness in the headline indices. 

The market remained sensitive to global cues, particularly elevated crude oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty. Higher oil prices continue to pose a risk to India’s inflation outlook, trade balance and currency, keeping investors cautious. 

IT, Media Stocks Buck Broader Weakness 

Information technology stocks emerged as one of the key areas of strength on Friday, with the Nifty IT index rising 0.8%. HCL Technologies and Wipro were among the top Nifty gainers, helping the sector buck the broader market weakness. 

The IT sector’s gains provided some cushion to the benchmark indices. Investors also remained focused on the ongoing earnings season and company-specific developments for further direction. Infosys declined 0.6% after weak results. 

Media stocks were the strongest performers among sectoral indices, with the Nifty Media index jumping 1.8%. The sector’s gains stood out against the otherwise cautious market environment. 

PSU banks also ended higher, with the Nifty PSU Bank index gaining 0.5%, while the Nifty Bank index edged up 0.18%. 

Auto Stocks Lead Declines 

The Nifty Auto index was the worst-performing sector on Friday, falling 1.10%, with automobile stocks facing selling pressure. The weakness came amid concerns over elevated crude prices and their potential impact on input costs and demand. 

Bajaj Finance, Eternal, M&M, Shriram Finance and Bharti Airtel were among the top Nifty losers, weighing on the benchmark. 

The Nifty Metal index declined 0.55%, while the Nifty Energy index slipped 0.57%. Realty stocks also remained under pressure, with the Nifty Realty index falling 0.55%. 

The Nifty Oil & Gas index declined 0.46%, while the Nifty Pharma and Nifty Infra indices eased 0.4% each. Interglobe Aviation fell 0.8% after weak results. 

Select Stocks Buck Trend 

Despite the broader weakness, several heavyweight stocks ended higher. HCL Technologies and Wipro were among the notable gainers, while Cipla, ITC and HDFC Life also advanced. 

The divergence between sectors highlighted the stock-specific nature of trading, with investors continuing to rotate towards companies and sectors showing stronger earnings prospects or defensive characteristics. 

The market’s focus is likely to remain on the earnings season, global market cues and movements in crude oil prices. Investors will also track the rupee and foreign fund flows for signs of further pressure on domestic equities. 

Broader Market Recovers From Lows 

The broader market showed resilience during the session, recovering from its intraday lows even as the benchmark indices remained in negative territory. The Nifty Midcap 100 ended flat, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 closed 0.3% lower. 

The relatively stable performance of mid- and small-cap stocks suggested that the day’s weakness was not a broad-based capitulation. However, with the Nifty ending below 23,800 for the session, investors are likely to remain cautious in the near term. 

Overall, Indian equities closed lower for the fifth consecutive session, with weakness in auto, metal and energy stocks offsetting gains in IT and media shares. The Sensex ended at 76,059.77 and the Nifty at 23,767.45, as investors continued to assess global risks, crude oil prices and the evolving corporate earnings picture. 

Source

• NSE
• BSE