Stock Market Close Report Today, September 3, 2026: Sensex, Nifty End Lower As IT, FMCG Drag

Mumbai, September 3: Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Thursday after a highly volatile session, with selling pressure in information technology, FMCG, auto and pharmaceutical stocks offsetting gains in realty and banking shares. The Sensex fell 417.49 points, or 0.55%, to 76,152.86, while the Nifty declined 41 points, or 0.17%, to 23,873.45. 

The indices had started the session on a firm note, tracking positive global cues, but failed to sustain their gains as investors remained cautious amid elevated crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over the global interest-rate outlook. 

Sensex, Nifty Give Up Early Gains 

The Sensex gained more than 350 points in early trade, while the Nifty briefly reclaimed the 24,000 mark. However, the recovery ran into selling pressure as the session progressed, pushing both benchmarks into negative territory. 

The decline extended the recent weakness in Indian equities. The Nifty and Sensex had already fallen for three consecutive sessions through Wednesday, pressured by rising crude prices and firmer global bond yields. Investors have also been assessing the potential impact of renewed tensions between the United States and Iran on oil supplies and inflation. 

At the close, 2,453 stocks advanced on the NSE, while 1,686 declined and 178 remained unchanged, indicating that gains in several pockets of the broader market helped limit the overall weakness. 

Realty, Banks Outperform; IT, FMCG Drag 

Sectoral performance remained mixed. The Nifty Realty index emerged as the day’s biggest gainer, jumping 2.5%, while the Media index rose 1.7%. Private Bank and PSU Bank indices gained around 0.5% each as financial stocks remained relatively resilient. 

On the other hand, auto, FMCG, IT and pharma indices ended around 0.5% lower. Weakness in technology stocks was particularly notable as investors continued to assess the outlook for global interest rates and demand for technology services. 

Adani Ports Among Top Gainers 

Among individual Nifty stocks, Adani Ports, Axis Bank, Bharat Electronics and Asian Paints emerged as the top gainers. The strength in lenders provided support to the benchmark despite weakness in several heavyweight sectors. 

Tech Mahindra, Cipla, Bajaj Auto and Mahindra & Mahindra were among the major laggards. Selling in these stocks added to the pressure on the headline indices. 

Broader Market Outperforms 

The broader market bucked the trend seen in the benchmark indices. The Nifty Midcap index gained 0.37%, while the Nifty Smallcap index climbed 1.2%, signalling stronger appetite for select mid- and small-cap stocks. 

The outperformance of broader equities, coupled with positive market breadth, suggested that Thursday’s decline was concentrated largely in selected large-cap stocks rather than reflecting broad-based selling across the market. 

Crude, US Jobs Data in Focus 

Investors will continue to monitor crude oil prices closely, given India’s dependence on imports and the potential impact of higher energy costs on inflation, the trade deficit and the rupee. Renewed US-Iran tensions have kept oil prices elevated and remain a key risk for Indian equities. 

Global markets will also take cues from Friday’s US non-farm payrolls report, which could influence expectations around the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path. Any shift in rate expectations, along with movements in oil prices and foreign fund flows, is likely to shape the direction of Indian markets in the next few sessions. 

Source

• NSE
• BSE