Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued their buying trend on December 18, with net purchases of Indian

equities totaling Rs 596 crore. Provisional exchange data indicates that domestic institutional investors (DIIs) also

made significant net purchases, amounting to Rs 2700 crore.

A breakdown of trading activity reveals that DIIs bought shares worth Rs 12,376 crore and sold shares worth Rs 9,675

crore during the session. FIIs purchased shares valued at Rs 11,442 crore while selling shares worth Rs 10,847 crore.

Year-to-date figures show that FIIs have been net sellers, with total sales of Rs 2.79 lakh crore. DIIs, on the other

hand, have been net buyers, accumulating shares worth Rs 7.52 lakh crore.

### Market Performance

At the close of trading, the Sensex experienced a slight decline of 77.84 points, or 0.09 percent, settling at

84,481.81. Similarly, the Nifty edged down by 3 points, or 0.01 percent, to reach 25,815.55. The BSE Midcap index

remained mostly unchanged, while the smallcap index saw a decrease of 0.3 percent.

Sector-wise, the realty index showed a gain of 0.3 percent, and the IT index increased by 1 percent. Conversely, the

auto, media, pharma, oil & gas, and capital goods sectors experienced declines ranging from 0.3 to 1 percent.

Among the top Nifty losers were Sun Pharma, Power Grid Corp, Tata Steel, Bajaj Auto, and Asian Paints. The leading

gainers included Interglobe Aviation, Max Healthcare, TCS, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra.

### Expert View

Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking noted that market sentiment continues to be influenced by global cues and currency

concerns, leading to cautious trading. He added, "While intermittent buying was seen in select index heavyweights on a

rotational basis, it was insufficient to drive a decisive directional move. Overall activity remained stock-specific,

with participants preferring selective opportunities over broad-based exposure."

*Disclaimer: Investment views expressed are those of the experts and do not represent the views of Moneycontrol.com.

Consult a certified expert before making investment decisions.*