Mumbai: The Indian stock market ended Thursday’s session on a mixed note after a volatile day.
The Nifty closed slightly higher by 14 points, or 0.06 percent, at 25,496.55. However, the Sensex slipped 27 points, or 0.03 percent, to settle at 82,248.61.
Experts said the Nifty needs to close above 25,700 with strong volumes to show a clear upward trend. For now, 25,400 is seen as an important support level.
Healthcare and PSU Banks Shine
Healthcare stocks performed strongly during the session.
The Nifty Healthcare index rose 1.24 percent, while the Nifty Pharma index gained 1.08 percent.
PSU bank stocks also saw buying interest and ended in positive territory.
On the other hand, media and FMCG stocks remained under pressure. The Nifty Media index fell 0.68 percent, and the Nifty FMCG index declined 0.16 percent.
Top Gainers and Losers
Among Sensex stocks, Trent was the worst performer, falling 1.61 percent.
Other major losers included Eternal, Power Grid, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finserv and Asian Paints.
On the gaining side, BEL was the top performer during intraday trade. Sun Pharma, Adani Ports, Maruti Suzuki India and Bharti Airtel were also among the top gainers.
Broader Market Trend
The broader markets showed a mixed trend.
The Nifty MidCap index declined 0.58 percent, while the Nifty SmallCap index ended almost flat, down just 0.01 percent.
Analysts said the market remained range-bound, with selective buying seen in defensive sectors like healthcare.
Institutional Buying Supports Market
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net buyers and purchased shares worth Rs 3,024.50 crore on February 25.
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) also supported the market, buying equities worth Rs 3,639.97 crore during the same session.
Experts said positive global cues from technology and metal stocks supported the market at the opening. However, gains faded later as investors booked profits at higher levels.
