Sensex ends flat; investors lose ₹4 lakh crore in a day— 10 key highlights of Indian stock market today

Indian stock market benchmarks closed flat on Tuesday, March 25, as a stronger US dollar and lingering concerns over the impact of US tariffs on the global economy weighed on sentiment. The Sensex closed at 78,017.19, up 33 points, or 0.04 per cent, while the Nifty 50 settled 10 points, or 0.04 per cent, up at 23,668.65.

While the benchmarks ended with nominal gains, the mid and small-cap segments suffered losses. The BSE Midcap index crashed 1.13 per cent, while the Smallcap index plunged 1.63 per cent.

Due to deep cuts in the broader markets, the overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms dropped to nearly ₹415 lakh crore from ₹418 lakh crore in the previous session, making investors lose about ₹3 lakh crore in a single session.

Stock market today: 10 key highlights

Here are 10 key highlights of the Indian stock market today:

1. What weighed on the Indian stock market today?

After six consecutive sessions of healthy gains, market benchmarks ended flat as profit booking in select heavyweights offset earlier momentum.

While stocks like HDFC Bank and Infosys contributed the most to the Sensex’s gains, heavyweights such as Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank were the biggest drags.

This trend highlights that investors selectively buy stocks at lower valuations while booking profits at higher levels.

Concerns over US tariffs, caution ahead of Q4 earnings, and the dollar’s rise against its peers also weighed on sentiment.

“After a six-day recovery rally, the broader market witnessed some profit booking, particularly in small and mid-cap stocks, where premium valuations still exist. In the near term, investor sentiment is expected to be cautious as they await clarity on trade policy between the US and India,” said Vinod Nair, the head of research at Geojit Investments Limited.

“Attention is shifting towards the quarterly results, which is anticipated to shed light on the recovery in earnings growth,” Nair said.

2. Top Sensex gainers today

Only 10 stocks could end higher in the 30-share pack, among which shares of UltraTech Cement (up 3.41 per cent), Bajaj Finserv (up 2.71 per cent) and Infosys (up 2.48 per cent) ended as the top gainers.

3. Top Sensex laggards today

Shares of Zomato (down 5.79 per cent), IndusInd Bank (down 4.76 per cent) and Adani Ports (down 1.44 per cent) – ended as the top losers in the index.

4. Sectoral indices today

Most sectoral indices ended with losses on Tuesday, with BSE Consumer Durables, Metal, Oil & Gas, Power, Realty, Consumer Discretionary, Energy, Industrials, Telecommunication, Utilities and Capital Goods falling over 1 per cent each.

The IT index, however, jumped over 1 per cent on recent correction in valuations and expectations of softer US tariffs.

“The IT sector posted gains, driven by positive global cues stemming from expectations of softer tariffs and a recent correction in valuations,” said Nair.

5. Spurt in volume

According to BSE data, Harsha Engineers International, Accelya Solutions, Tarsons Products, Ugro Capital, Graphite India, and Samvardhana Motherson International were among the stocks that witnessed a spurt in volume on Tuesday.

More to come…

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