The Numbers Matter

🔹 Sensex: 83,313.93 (down 0.60%) 🔹 Nifty 50: 25,642.80 (down 0.52%) 🔹 India VIX: 12.17 (down 0.69%) – Volatility eased slightly despite the sell-off 🔹 Rupee: Settled at 90.34 per dollar, gaining 13 paise on trade deal optimism

💡 Key Market Movers

🔹 Top Drags: Heavyweights like Bharti Airtel, Reliance and ICICI Bank pressured the Nifty 🔹 Sectoral Pain: Metal, Auto and Consumer Durables sectors saw the sharpest declines 🔹 Mid and Small Caps: The broader market was not spared, with the BSE SmallCap index falling nearly 0.81%

🌟 Stocks in the Spotlight

🔹 PB Fintech (up 7.80%): Rallied after cancelling a board meeting for a potential QIP, easing dilution fears 🔹 IOCL (up 1.74%): Net profit surged 321% YoY in Q3 🔹 Hexaware (down 7.25%): Slumped following weaker profitability due to new labour code expenses

🛢️ Commodities and Global Cues

Global sentiment remained shaky as Wall Street’s tech rout deepened 🔹 Gold (MCX Apr): ₹1,52,000 per 10g (down 0.68%) 🔹 Silver (MCX Mar): ₹2,42,000 per kg (down 10.0%) 🔹 Brent Crude: $68.51 per barrel (down 1.37%)

📌 Analyst Note

Silver witnessed a historic lower circuit crash on MCX, dropping 10% due to a stronger US Dollar and global sell-off. Gold remains volatile but continues to hold above the ₹1.5 lakh mark.

🚀 What to Expect Next?

🔹 Gift Nifty signals a soft start, trading over 100 points lower 🔹 25,480–25,500 zone remains crucial support for Nifty 50 🔹 Expect range-bound movement until the RBI provides policy direction on Friday