Stock Market Updates: Sensex Down 350 Points; Nifty Near 26,100; VIX Jumps 13% | Markets News

Indian equity markets

Sensex Today: Indian stock markets slipped into negative territory on Friday, tracking weak global cues. By 11 a.m., the BSE Sensex was down 316 points (0.37%) at 85,316, while the Nifty50 fell 107 points (0.41%) to 26,085.

Heavyweights such as Tata Steel, Eternal, ICICI Bank, Tech Mahindra, Adani Ports, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, BEL, HCL Tech, and Axis Bank were among the major drags, losing up to 1.3%.

On the other hand, M&M, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors PV, Titan, Kotak Bank, Bharti Airtel, and Ultratech Cement were the only Sensex stocks trading in the green.

In the broader markets, selling pressure was more pronounced, with the Nifty Midcap 100 down 0.83% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 down 0.91%.

Sectorally, it was a largely negative setup. Nifty Auto was the lone gainer, inching up 0.17%, while Nifty Metal, PSU Bank, and Realty were the top laggards, each slipping over 1%.

Meanwhile, the market’s fear gauge, India VIX, jumped 13.28%, signaling heightened volatility and caution among traders.

Global Cues

Overnight, Wall Street closed sharply lower: the Dow Jones slid 0.84 per cent, the S&P 500 dropped 1.56 per cent, and the Nasdaq plunged 2.16 per cent.

On the macro front, US unemployment ticked higher in September even as job additions exceeded expectations, leaving investors uncertain about the likelihood of another Federal Reserve rate cut in December.

Asian markets were also deep in the red, tracking Wall Street’s decline. Mainland China’s CSI 300 fell 1.16 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.82 per cent, and South Korea’s KOSPI tumbled 3.12 per cent.

Japan’s Nikkei slipped 1.7 per cent after core inflation — excluding fresh food and energy — rose to 3.1 per cent in October from 3 per cent in September.