The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 424.90 points (0.56%), closing at 75,311.06, after trading within a range of 75,748.72 to 75,112.41 during the day.
The Nifty50 followed suit, declining 127.25 points (0.51%) to settle at 22,795.90. It touched an intraday high of 22,921 and a low of 22,720.
Among the Nifty50 constituents, 35 out of 50 stocks ended in the red, dragging the index lower. Mahindra & Mahindra, Adani Ports, BPCL, Tata Motors, and Wipro were the biggest laggards, with losses extending up to 6.20%.
The weakness in benchmark indices was reflected in broader markets, with Nifty Midcap100 slipping 1.32% and Nifty Smallcap100 down 0.70%.
Impact on the stock market
On the sectoral front, most indices ended in the red, except Nifty Metal, which gained due to rising aluminium prices. The worst performer was Nifty Auto, which dropped 2.58%, followed by Nifty PSU Bank, Healthcare, Realty, Pharma, and OMCs, all declining by over 1%.
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| Sector/Index | Performance |
| IT & BPM sector | -0.79% |
| Healthcare sector | -1.93% |
| Oil & Gas sector | -1.05% |
| Real estate sector | -1.27% |
| PSU Bank in India | -1.34% |
Top gainers today
| Company | Price | Change % |
| Hindalco Share Price | 653.55 | 2.31 |
| Tata Steel Share Price | 140.76 | 1.97 |
| SBI Life Insura Share Price | 1,495.40 | 1.74 |
| Eicher Motors Share Price | 4,962.45 | 1.51 |
| Larsen Share Price | 3,315.10 | 1.20 |
Top losers today
| Company | Price | Change % |
| M&M Share Price | 2,669.35 | -5.99 |
| BPCL Share Price | 251.30 | -2.82 |
| Adani Ports Share Price | 1,083.25 | -2.56 |
| Tata Motors Share Price | 673.20 | -2.41 |
| Wipro Share Price | 306.35 | -2.22 |
Market aftermath: Impact on stocks
NHPC rallies for the third straight session, up 10%
While the broader market suffered losses, NHPC stood out, surging over 10% for the third consecutive session. The stock hit an intraday high of ₹82.16, buoyed by a positive brokerage report from CLSA, which upgraded NHPC to a high-conviction “outperform” rating.
The surge was also fueled by speculation around NHPC’s potential decision to buy a co-promoter stake in PTC India. However, in an exchange filing, NHPC clarified that the proposal is still in its very early stages.
Aluminium stocks soar amid rising metal prices
Aluminium stocks continued their upward momentum, with Hindalco, NALCO, and Vedanta surging 7-10% over the past week. The rally was driven by a sharp rise in aluminium prices, which crossed the $2,700 per tonne mark due to the European Union’s ban on Russian aluminium imports.
The supply constraints have boosted metal prices, leading to a 5% weekly gain in the Nifty Metal index.
The stocks trading as follows:
- NALCO: ₹199.73
- Hindalco: ₹650.55
- Vedanta: ₹434.50
Analysts at Emkay Institutional Equities believe that higher aluminium prices could lead to earnings upgrades for these companies in the coming quarters.
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Indian Hotels gains on Morgan Stanley’s bullish outlook
Shares of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) gained 2%, touching ₹776 in morning trade, following Morgan Stanley’s decision to maintain an “overweight” stance on the stock.
The brokerage firm set a target price of ₹856, implying a 12.5% upside from the last closing price of ₹761. The optimism stems from strong demand in Mumbai’s hospitality sector, where RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) grew by 21% in January.
Despite today’s gains, IHCL is still down 13% since the beginning of 2025.
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Crude oil market: Stable, but pressure builds
Crude oil futures remained steady as official US inventory data showed an increase in crude oil reserves.
On Friday, oil futures were trading as follows:
- Brent crude (April futures): $76.43 per barrel, down 0.07%
- WTI crude (April futures): $72.44 per barrel, down 0.06%
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a 4.6-million-barrel increase in crude oil inventories, pushing total reserves to 432.5 million barrels, which is 3% below the five-year average.
However, petroleum product inventories declined:
- Motor gasoline inventories: Down 0.2 million barrels
- Distillate fuel inventories: Down 2.1 million barrels, now 12% below the five-year average
Adding to the market pressure, US-led efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could lead to the lifting of some sanctions on Russian oil, increasing global supply and potentially weighing on crude prices.
Conclusion
The Indian stock market ended the week on a weak note, with Sensex and Nifty closing lower due to selling pressure in auto, banking, and healthcare stocks. NHPC defied the trend with a 10% jump, while metal stocks surged on higher aluminium prices.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley’s bullish stance lifted Indian Hotels, and crude oil prices remained steady amid rising US inventories and geopolitical developments.
As we step into the next trading week, all eyes will be on global economic cues, sectoral trends, and corporate earnings to determine the market’s direction.
For more stock market insights, check out the StockGro blog.
