Tata Steel led the gainers on Nifty 50, surging 3.71 per cent to close at ₹189.35 from its previous close of ₹182.57
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Markets closed marginally lower on Wednesday, with benchmark indices shedding nearly 0.3 per cent as persistent foreign institutional selling, geopolitical tensions, and uncertainty over US-India trade negotiations kept investor sentiment subdued despite a late recovery attempt from intraday lows.

The BSE Sensex closed at 83,382.71, down 244.98 points or 0.29 per cent from its previous close of 83,627.69, after opening at 83,358.54. The NSE Nifty 50 settled at 25,665.60, losing 66.70 points or 0.26 per cent from its previous close of 25,732.30, having opened at 25,648.55.

“Markets traded volatile on Wednesday and ended marginally lower amid mixed cues,” said Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd. “Bulls are making an effort to defend the medium-term support of the 100-day EMA around the 25,600 level on the Nifty.”

The Sensex recovered nearly 450 points from its intraday low of 83,579, aided by value buying and early optimism around India-US trade discussions, according to Gaurav Garg, Lemonn Markets Desk. The index had touched an early high of 84,258 before trimming gains.

Sectoral performance remained mixed, with metals, commodities, CPSE, energy, and oil & gas stocks attracting buying interest. However, weakness in realty, IT, FMCG, auto, and India consumption stocks capped upside momentum. Nifty IT, realty, and auto emerged as key laggards for the session.

Nifty gainers

Tata Steel led the gainers on Nifty 50, surging 3.71 per cent to close at ₹189.35 from its previous close of ₹182.57. NTPC jumped 3.28 per cent to ₹349.00 from ₹337.90, while Axis Bank gained 2.93 per cent to ₹1,299.00 from ₹1,262.00. Hindalco advanced 2.09 per cent to ₹955.90 from ₹936.30, and ONGC rose 1.72 per cent to ₹247.98 from ₹243.78.

On the downside, Asian Paints declined 2.40 per cent to ₹2,817.00 from ₹2,886.30. TCS fell 2.15 per cent to ₹3,197.80 from ₹3,268.00, while Tata Consumer Products dropped 1.72 per cent to ₹1,169.00 from ₹1,189.40. Maruti Suzuki lost 1.69 per cent to ₹16,148.00 from ₹16,426.00, and Hindustan Unilever slipped 1.65 per cent to ₹2,350.00 from ₹2,389.50.

Market breadth remained weak on the BSE, with 2,219 stocks declining against 1,960 advances, while 165 remained unchanged. Some 222 stocks hit 52-week lows compared to just 88 touching 52-week highs. Six stocks were locked in lower circuit.

The broader indices, however, outperformed benchmarks. Nifty Midcap 100 advanced 0.29 per cent to 59,770.50, while Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.67 per cent to 17,410.85. Nifty Next 50 rose 0.39 per cent to 68,786.90. Nifty Bank closed marginally higher at 59,580.15, up just 1.35 points.

“Uncertainty over US trade and tariff developments, along with escalating civilian unrest in Iran and rising prospects of US military intervention—potentially heightening tensions across the Middle East—continued to weigh on risk appetite,” said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.

Derivatives data showed maximum call open interest at the 26,000 and 25,800 strikes, indicating strong resistance levels. Maximum put open interest at the 25,700 and 25,600 strikes suggested immediate support zones. The Put-Call Ratio stood at 0.64, reflecting cautious positioning.

“Nifty is likely to stay in a 25,500–26,000 range in the shortened trading week,” said Bajaj Broking Research. “A clear breakout or breakdown will decide the next direction.” Analysts noted that Monday’s low of 25,473 would act as immediate support, while the 25,950–26,050 zone remains key resistance.

Published on January 14, 2026