India’s equity benchmarks closed higher on Thursday, December 4, though they retreated sharply from the day’s highs, but
still managed to break a four-day losing streak. A continued rise in tech stocks, along with a rebound in the realty and
consumer goods sectors, provided much-needed support to the market.
The Nifty 50 gained 0.18% to 26,033, while the S&P Sensex closed 0.07% higher at 85,164. The broader markets ended
mixed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 finishing flat and the Nifty Smallcap 100 falling 0.24%.
Tech stocks once again outperformed, as sustained weakness in the Indian rupee along with growing bets of a US Federal
Reserve rate cut next week helped these counters shine even as the broader market remained volatile. The Nifty IT index
gained another 1.41% to 38,360.
Real estate stocks, after a five-day decline, came under the bulls’ radar, lifting the Nifty Realty index by 0.54%. FMCG
stocks also made a comeback, with the Nifty FMCG index rising 0.47% to 55,209, ending a three-day slide.
The sharp drop in the Indian rupee also boosted chemical stocks, pushing the Nifty Chemical index up 0.47%. Other key
sectors such as Nifty Auto, Nifty Pharma, and Nifty Metal also closed with gains of up to 0.32%.
On the flip side, the Nifty Media index fell 1.45%, while the Nifty Consumer Durables and Nifty Oil & Gas indices also
Investors remained cautious ahead of the RBI policy decision on Friday, with the Street expecting the central bank to
maintain status quo following strong economic growth in the September quarter.
India Cements, Hindustan Copper and Petronet LNG lead gainers' list
Among the top gainers, India Cements led the list, rallying 9.7% to ₹412.2 apiece, while Hindustan Copper, Vijaya
Diagnostic Centre, and Kirloskar Oil Engines also rose sharply, each surging more than 7%.
Petronet LNG jumped 4.54% to ₹281 apiece in its biggest intraday gain since October 2024, after the company announced it
had signed a 15-year ethane unloading, storage and handling (USH) services binding term sheet with ONGC.
Hexaware Technologies posted another strong session, closing 4% higher at ₹788.55 apiece.
After a five-day decline, Olectra Greentech attracted strong buying interest, lifting the stock to ₹1,239, while Astral
also rebounded 2.21% to ₹1,440 after a four-day slide.
Meanwhile, mid-cap IT names such as Birlasoft and Coforge gained 3.1% and 2.8%, respectively. Other notable movers
including Gillette India, HFCL, Bikaji Foods International, Hero MotoCorp, Exide Industries, JK Tyre & Industries, and
seven other Nifty 500 stocks also ended higher, rising between 2% and 3%.
Energy, pharma, and mobility stocks lead market declines
Extending its fall to a second consecutive session, Hitachi Energy India slumped 8% to ₹20,085 apiece, taking the
two-day cumulative drop to 12%, while Kaynes Technology India also remained under pressure, losing 6.2% to ₹4,978
Meanwhile, Wockhardt and Biocon came under pressure following their recent rallies, falling 5.9% and 5.3%, respectively.
The sell-off in Ola Electric Mobility deepened further, with the stock declining 5% to ₹36.1 apiece.
Suzlon Energy also faced renewed selling pressure, dropping 3.3% to ₹50.09, while Patanjali Foods fell 5% to ₹528
Shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, fell 2.8% to ₹5,436 apiece after the airline experienced a
massive number of flight cancellations across the country. Around 200 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Wednesday,
marking one of the airline's most severe operational breakdowns in recent years.
Other stocks such as Waaree Energies, HBL Engineering, Amber Enterprises, and JM Financial also saw losses deepen, each
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