The Sensex was at 82,175.62, down 390.75 points (0.47%) from 82,566.37, while the Nifty fell 126.35 points (0.50%) to 25,292.55 from 25,418.90.
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Benchmark indices remained under pressure in afternoon trade on Friday, weighed down by sustained selling in metal stocks ahead of the Union Budget presentation on Sunday. The Sensex was trading at 82,175.62, down 390.75 points or 0.47 per cent from its previous close of 82,566.37, while the Nifty declined 126.35 points or 0.50 per cent to 25,292.55 against Thursday’s close of 25,418.90.
Metal stocks continued to lead the losses, with Tata Steel plunging 5.60 per cent to ₹191.00 and Hindalco falling 5.52 per cent to ₹967.50, extending the sector’s weakness from morning trade. Coal India dropped 3.80 per cent to ₹438.45, while ONGC declined 2.43 per cent to ₹268.71. The IT sector also remained under selling pressure, with Infosys down 2.12 per cent at ₹1,624.40.
Consumer stocks, however, provided some support to the broader market. Tata Consumer Products surged 2.47 per cent to ₹1,134.50, while Apollo Hospitals gained 2.08 per cent to ₹6,942.50. Nestle India advanced 1.73 per cent to ₹1,310.20, State Bank of India rose 1.38 per cent to ₹1,080.90, and ITC climbed 0.99 per cent to ₹321.75.
Market breadth showed relative resilience, with 2,312 stocks advancing against 1,689 declines on the NSE, while 190 remained unchanged. However, 249 stocks hit their 52-week lows compared to 62 touching 52-week highs, indicating underlying pressure in the broader market. A total of 139 stocks were locked in upper circuit limits, while 151 hit lower circuits.
Among sectoral indices, Nifty Next 50 fell 0.92 per cent to 67,766.35, while Nifty Financial Services declined 0.31 per cent to 27,427.15 and Nifty Bank slipped 0.29 per cent to 59,778.95. Nifty Midcap 100 was down 0.21 per cent at 58,390.50, while Nifty Smallcap 100 bucked the trend with a gain of 0.38 per cent to 16,884.45.
Trading activity remained elevated with 4,191 stocks changing hands on the exchange as investors continued to position themselves cautiously ahead of the Budget, amid persistent foreign institutional investor outflows and mixed global cues.
Published on January 30, 2026
