Nifty gains 105 points on monthly F&O expiry day; Investors' wealth rises Rs 3.10 lakh crore

The Nifty 50 index ended the monthly F&O expiry day on a positive note, gaining 105 points, or 0.45%, to close at 23,591.95. This came after early losses driven by weak global cues. Investors saw a boost in wealth, with the total market capitalization rising by Rs 3.10 lakh crore to Rs 414.72 lakh crore.

The day started with a weak opening at 23,434, impacted by a sell-off in US markets following President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on imported cars and auto parts. This policy change led to a sharp decline in US equities, which also affected Indian markets. The Nifty hit an intraday low of 23,412 before recovering and closing near the 23,600 mark.

The Sensex also reversed early losses, opening 200 points lower but eventually gaining 317.93 points, or 0.41%, to close at 77,606.43. The broader indices, BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap, rose 0.46% and 0.90%, respectively, breaking a two-day losing streak.

“Domestic markets maintained a positive outlook throughout the day, supported by sustained foreign fund inflows and buying in blue-chip stocks. However, the tariff announcement on auto imports affected the auto sector and raised concerns in the pharma space,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments.

While the overall market breadth was negative, with 2,349 losers and 1,699 gainers, most sectors closed in the green. Public sector banks, IT, oil & gas, realty, and media stocks were the top performers, while auto and pharma sectors saw declines.

Tata Motors, the top Sensex loser, dropped 5.56% due to the tariff news. Other notable losers included Sun Pharma, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharti Airtel, and HCL Technologies. Meanwhile, Bajaj Finserv, IndusInd Bank, NTPC, L&T, and UltraTech Cement were among the key gainers, rising as much as 3.23%.