Sensex and Nifty Performance
- Nifty 50 ended the day 102 points lower at 22,929, after briefly dipping below 22,850.
- Sensex closed 200 points lower at 75,939, after touching an intraday low of 75,439.
- Nifty Smallcap 100 officially entered a bear market, dropping 22% from its peak, closing nearly 4% down at 15,373.70.
- Nifty Midcap 150 also saw a steep decline, closing 2.5% lower at 18,325.40.
Impact on the stock market
Sectoral performance:
- Pharma stocks were the biggest losers, with Natco Pharma and Laurus Labs declining over 9% amid fears of new US trade tariffs.
- IFCI, Glenmark Pharma, Finolex Cables, HFCL, BEML, and Apar Industries also saw sharp declines of over 7%.
- The overall market capitalization of Indian stocks fell below the $4-trillion mark for the first time in 14 months, amid a weaker rupee.
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| Sector/Index | Performance |
| IT & BPM sector | -0.01% |
| Healthcare sector | -2.46% |
| Oil & Gas sector | -1.45% |
| Real estate sector | -1.74% |
| PSU Bank in India | -2.09% |
Top gainers today
| Company | Price | Change % |
| Britannia Share price | 4,939.65 | 1.04 |
| ICICI Bank Share price | 1,260.10 | 0.90 |
| Nestle Share price | 2,195.85 | 0.84 |
| Infosys Share price | 1,856.40 | 0.71 |
| TCS Share price | 3,934.85 | 0.63 |
Top losers today
| Company | Price | Change % |
| Adani Ports Share price | 1,062.70 | -4.39 |
| Bharat Elec Share price | 250.35 | -4.28 |
| Adani Enterpris Share price | 2,152.65 | -4.10 |
| Trent Share price | 5,117.35 | -2.65 |
| Sun Pharma Share price | 1,700.50 | -2.63 |
Market aftermath: Impact on stocks
HCC crashes 10% to 52-week low on weak Q3 results
Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) had a brutal trading session, with shares nosediving 10% to ₹25.6, marking a new 52-week low. The company reported a net loss of ₹216 crore in Q3FY25, a sharp contrast to the ₹68.5 crore profit from a year ago. Revenue also saw a steep decline, falling 19.5% year-on-year to ₹1,002.1 crore. Over the past month, HCC stock has tumbled 24%, massively underperforming the Nifty 50, which dipped only 1% in the same period.
Deepak Nitrite plunges 14%—buy the dip or stay away?
Deepak Nitrite saw a steep decline of 14.1% today, hitting a 52-week low of ₹1,921.40. The chemical company reported a 51.5% drop in consolidated net profit for Q3FY25, falling to ₹98.09 crore from ₹202.05 crore in Q3FY24. Revenue declined 5.3% YoY to ₹1,903.40 crore, while EBITDA margins shrank to 8.9% from 15.2%.
Market experts suggest that while the stock is in oversold territory, a technical rebound is expected. However, traders are advised to wait for signs of stability before making any moves.
FACT shares drop 8% on weak earnings
Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) stock fell over 8% as the company’s net profit for Q3 dropped nearly 75% YoY to ₹8 crore from ₹30.3 crore. Revenue also fell 13.5% YoY to ₹949.4 crore, leading to further selling pressure. The EBITDA margin slipped to 3.3% from 3.9%, signaling weak operational performance.
A surge in trading volumes added to the volatility, with over six lakh shares changing hands, nearly three times the one-week daily average.
Crude oil futures rise after Trump delays tariffs
Crude oil futures rose slightly after US President Donald Trump delayed the implementation of reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners. This provided relief to global markets, as new tariffs could have sparked a trade war, potentially hurting economic growth and oil demand.
At 9:56 AM on Friday:
- Brent oil futures were up 0.15% at $75.13 per barrel.
- WTI crude futures gained 0.08%, trading at $71.35 per barrel.
- In India, February crude oil futures on the MCX rose 0.11% to ₹6,203.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) also released its latest report, predicting that global oil demand growth will average 1.1 million barrels per day in 2025, up from 870,000 barrels per day in 2024. However, concerns remain over potential supply disruptions due to US sanctions on Russia and Iran.
Conclusion
Today’s market action was a mix of sharp corrections in smallcaps and midcaps, resilience in frontline indices, and cautious optimism in the crude oil markets. While some stocks like Deepak Nitrite and HCC saw steep declines due to weak earnings, broader market concerns about liquidity and global economic headwinds continue to weigh on investor sentiment.
For now, technical analysts suggest keeping an eye on Nifty’s 22,800 support level and 23,100 resistance level. If the market breaks below these levels, we may see further volatility in the coming days.
For more stock market insights, check out the StockGro blog.
