Market Close Report Today, August 27, 2026: Nifty, Sensex Decline For Second Day As Broad-Based Selling Drags Benchmarks

Mumbai, August 27: Indian equity benchmarks ended lower for a second consecutive session on Thursday, with the Nifty slipping below the 24,100 mark and the Sensex losing more than 500 points as broad-based selling weighed on equities. Weakness in metals, oil and gas, auto and FMCG stocks offset gains in pharma and consumer durables, while heavyweight banking and technology stocks also pressured the indices. 

At the close, the Sensex fell 539.35 points, or 0.70%, to 76,933.59, while the Nifty declined 116.90 points, or 0.48%, to 24,090.85. Market breadth remained weak, with 2,392 stocks declining against 1,736 advancing and 167 remaining unchanged. The Nifty midcap and smallcap indices also ended marginally lower. 

Metals, auto stocks drag 

Metal stocks emerged as a key source of pressure, with Hindalco Industries among the biggest losers on the Nifty. The broader metals index also declined as investors remained cautious amid global growth and commodity-market concerns. 

Auto stocks were also under pressure, with Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) among the top Nifty losers. Oil and gas, PSU banks and FMCG stocks also ended lower, with their sectoral indices declining between 0.4% and 0.9%. 

The selling was not restricted to large-cap stocks, although losses in the midcap and smallcap segments were relatively modest. The weak breadth indicated that investors remained cautious across the market despite gains in select defensive and heavyweight stocks. 

Pharma, consumer durables outperform 

Pharma stocks bucked the broader market weakness, with the sectoral index gaining nearly 1% as investors favoured defensive sectors amid heightened market uncertainty. 

Consumer Durables was another strong performer, with the sectoral index rising nearly 1%. The relative outperformance of defensive sectors suggested some rotation towards stocks viewed as more resilient amid the broader risk-off sentiment. 

Kotak Bank, Adani stocks gain 

Within the Nifty, Kotak Mahindra Bank was among the top gainers, while Adani Enterprises, Bharat Electronics, Cipla and Adani Ports also ended higher. 

The gains in select banking and Adani group stocks, however, were insufficient to offset declines in several heavyweight constituents. Top losers included Hindalco Industries, M&M, HCL Technologies and Shriram Finance. 

Global cues provide limited support 

The domestic market’s decline came despite relatively supportive global cues. Asian equities traded higher after strong results from Nvidia lifted optimism around artificial-intelligence spending, while U.S. stock futures gained. 

Oil prices also extended their recent decline, with Brent crude falling to around $87.4 a barrel, offering some relief to India, one of the world’s largest crude importers. Softer oil prices can help ease inflationary pressures and improve India’s external balance. 

However, concerns around U.S. inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook continued to keep investors cautious. The market is also watching developments in the Middle East, particularly diplomatic efforts involving Iran and the potential impact on crude supplies. 

Overall, the session reflected a risk-off tone on Dalal Street, with the Nifty losing 116.90 points and ending below 24,100. Sectoral rotation towards pharma and consumer durables provided some cushion, but widespread selling across metals, auto, oil and gas and other cyclical segments kept the benchmarks under pressure. 

Source

• NSE
• BSE