Indian equity benchmarks halted their two-session advance on Monday, December 16, closing marginally lower as global signals remained mixed. The trading session was marked by volatility, with investors adopting a cautious stance.
Benchmarks Dip, Broader Markets Rally
The Sensex slipped 54 points, or 0.06%, to settle at 85,213.36. Similarly, the Nifty 50 declined by 20 points, or 0.08%, closing at 26,027.30. This movement ended a two-day winning streak for the headline indices. In a contrasting trend, the broader markets demonstrated resilience. The BSE Midcap index gained 0.16%, while the BSE Smallcap index rose 0.41%, outperforming their larger counterparts.
Analysts Cite Consolidation and Sectoral Rotation
Market experts attributed the flat close to ongoing consolidation. "Markets traded in a volatile manner on Monday and eventually ended almost unchanged, extending the ongoing consolidation phase," noted Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking Ltd. He pointed out that the session began cautiously due to rupee weakness and mixed global cues. However, a recovery in key heavyweight stocks across sectors helped the indices recoup most early losses.
Mishra added that with major domestic and global events largely concluded, the market direction is currently being influenced by the rupee's performance and international trends. Simultaneously, sector-wise rotation into heavyweight stocks is providing crucial support, allowing the indices to remain stable during this phase of consolidation.
Stocks in Focus for Tuesday's Trade
Against this backdrop, several companies announced significant developments that are likely to influence their stock prices and attract investor attention in the coming sessions.
Tata Power unveiled ambitious investment plans, stating it will invest around ₹25,000 crore in capital expenditure during the current financial year. The company intends to maintain a similar annual investment level through the fiscal year 2030.
HCL Technologies (HCLTech) has expanded its digital transformation partnership with Aurobay Technologies to support the latter's global growth. The deal involves HCLTech managing SAP, Siemens Teamcenter PLM, and integration services for Aurobay's operations in Sweden and China.
In a green financing initiative, the State Bank of India (SBI) is set to sign a €150-million line of credit with Germany’s KfW development bank on December 16. This fund is earmarked for financing climate-friendly energy projects.
Texmaco Rail announced a new order win. The company has secured a contract worth ₹132 crore from Touax Texmaco Railcar Leasing Pvt Ltd (TTRL), its joint venture with France's Touax Group, for supplying railway rakes.
Logistics firm Delhivery has launched an on-demand intracity delivery service via its Delhivery Direct app in Mumbai and Hyderabad. The new feature allows customers to schedule pickups within 15 minutes of booking.
Hyundai Motor India disclosed that its shareholders have approved the appointment of Tarun Garg as Managing Director and CEO, effective January 1.
In a regulatory development for Zydus Lifesciences, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) filed by its subsidiary, Sentynl Therapeutics, for CUTX-101, a treatment for Menkes disease. The FDA has set a new PDUFA action date of January 14, 2026.
Ion Exchange India has bagged contracts totaling ₹205 crore from Rayzon Energy and INOX Solar. A significant part, a ₹95 crore order from Rayzon Energy, is for supplying process and utility systems for a new 5.1 GW photovoltaic solar project in Kathwada, Surat.
Senores Pharmaceuticals has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire the entire shareholding of Apnar Pharma in two phases. Post-completion, Apnar Pharma will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Senores.
Can Fin Homes declared an interim dividend of ₹7 per equity share for FY2025–26. The company has fixed December 19 as the record date to determine eligible shareholders for the dividend payout.
Disclaimer: This news article is for informational and educational purposes only. Readers are advised to consult with a certified investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
