Pharma and Healthcare Indices Plunge Amid Broad-Based Selloff

Mumbai, August 1, 2025 (Friday) – Nifty Pharma and Healthcare indices were trading sharply lower on Friday, dragged down by widespread profit booking across large-cap pharma and mid-tier hospital stocks.

As of 11:17 AM IST, the Nifty Pharma index had slipped 2.51% to 22,199.60, hitting an intraday low as investors reacted to weak global cues and sectoral rotation. The Nifty Healthcare index followed suit, down 2.07%, while the Nifty MidSmall Healthcare index lost 1.10%, reflecting pressure in both institutional favourites and retail-driven counters.

This decline coincides with a cooling off in defensive plays and profit booking in previously outperforming names like Divi’s Labs, Sun Pharma, and Apollo Hospitals, many of which recently hit 52-week highs.

Index Summary: Healthcare Sector Bleeds Red

India’s healthcare and pharma indices witnessed sharp declines on August 1, 2025. The Nifty Pharma index dropped 2.51%, closing at ₹22,199.60, with 19 of its 20 constituents in the red. The Nifty Healthcare index shed 2.07%, closing at ₹14,571.85, while the Nifty MidSmall Healthcare index fell 1.10% to ₹44,750.95. Broader market sentiment was negative, with more declines than advances across all three indices.

Top Losers – Nifty Pharma

Among Nifty Pharma constituents, Sun Pharma led the losers with a 3.91% fall to ₹1,640. Aurobindo Pharma declined 3.48% to ₹1,100.10, while Granules India slipped 3.10% to ₹460.20. Other major laggards included Cipla (−2.62%), Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (-2.57%), and Divi’s Laboratories (-2.25%). Notably, Dr. Reddy’s has witnessed a steep 81.18% decline over the past year, the sharpest among the group.

Top Losers – Nifty Healthcare

The broader Nifty Healthcare index also posted losses, albeit milder. Apollo Hospitals dropped 1.07% to ₹7,417.50, despite a modest 1-year gain of 13.34%. Biocon was down 0.83%, and Syngene International lost 0.21%, though both maintained strong 30-day gains of 7.97% and 12.16% respectively. Max Healthcare was relatively flat, slipping just 0.06% to ₹1,245.20.

Gainers – Nifty MidSmall Healthcare

Bucking the trend, a few mid and small-cap healthcare stocks posted gains. Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH) climbed 1.69% to ₹1,942.90, marking a strong 52.45% gain over the past year. Medanta (Global Health) and KIMS followed with gains of 1.19% and 1.17%, respectively, driven by bullish investor sentiment and robust recent performance.

Key Gainers Across All Indices

Despite the overall slump, some notable names managed to stay green. Fortis Healthcare inched up 0.18% to ₹859.00, boasting an impressive 70.84% 1-year rally. Mankind Pharma gained 0.14% to ₹2,570.80, maintaining double-digit momentum across 30-day and annual charts.

Market Outlook

Despite selective gains in Mankind Pharma, Fortis Healthcare, and Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH), overall market breadth remained decidedly negative, with over 90% of pharma and healthcare stocks trading in the red. The indices reflect a broad-based sentiment reversal across the sector as of mid-morning trade on Friday, signalling heightened investor caution and profit booking.

REF:https://www.nseindia.com/market-data/live-equity-market?symbol=NIFTY PHARMA

https://www.nseindia.com/market-data/live-equity-market?symbol=NIFTY HEALTHCARE INDEX

https://www.nseindia.com/market-data/live-equity-market?symbol=NIFTY MIDSMALL HEALTHCARE

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