Last week, the combined market capitalisation of nine of the top 10 most valued firms fell by Rs 3.12 lakh crore, with Reliance Industries registering the sharpest decline. Broader market sentiments remained weak, with the 30-share BSE Sensex dropping 2,090.2 points, or 2.7%, while the 50-share NSE Nifty slipped 532.65 points, or 2.2%.
Market Sentiments and Geopolitical Tensions
According to Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking Ltd, markets ended the week lower, breaking out of a three-week consolidation phase amid lingering geopolitical tensions in West Asia, persistent weakness in the rupee, and rising inflationary concerns. He added that crude oil prices rising above the $105-per-barrel level aggravated concerns around imported inflation, fiscal stress, and pressure on corporate margins.
Top 10 Firms: Declines and Gains
Within the top-10 list, Bharti Airtel was the only company to see gains during the week. Reliance Industries’ valuation declined by Rs 1,34,445.77 crore, bringing it down to Rs 18,08,420.81 crore. State Bank of India followed with a drop of Rs 52,245.3 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 8,88,862.32 crore. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) lost Rs 47,415.04 crore, ending at Rs 8,19,062.65 crore, while Bajaj Finance saw its valuation shrink by Rs 27,892.28 crore to Rs 5,66,717.74 crore.
HDFC Bank’s market capitalisation eased by Rs 20,630.01 crore to Rs 11,82,069.25 crore, and ICICI Bank recorded a decline of Rs 14,290 crore, leaving it at Rs 8,92,385.39 crore. Larsen & Toubro’s valuation went down by Rs 9,078.87 crore to Rs 5,37,542.34 crore. Hindustan Unilever lost Rs 3,970.8 crore, taking its market value to Rs 5,33,592.18 crore, while Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) saw a fall of Rs 2,182.12 crore to Rs 5,05,367.32 crore.
On the other hand, Bharti Airtel added Rs 42,470.13 crore to its valuation, which rose to Rs 11,60,525.16 crore.
Retained Rankings
Even after the weekly fluctuations, Reliance Industries retained its position as the country’s most valued firm, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, TCS, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Unilever, and LIC.
