India's BSE Sensex ended the trading session on Tuesday nearly flat at 84,675.1, as investors showed caution ahead of the year-end. The tentative mood was compounded by ongoing foreign capital outflows, which dampened overall market sentiment. Investors were also keenly anticipating the release of the latest minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) later in the day, seeking insights on the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook for the coming year.
In terms of sector performance, the auto sector stood out, buoyed by strong industrial production figures. Notable gains were seen in Mahindra & Mahindra, TMPV, and Maruti, which recorded increases of 2.6%, 0.7%, and 0.2%, respectively. The metals sector also experienced a lift, driven by Tata Steel's 2.1% climb. Public sector banks like SBI also saw gains, with a 0.9% rise, attributed to improvements in asset quality.
Conversely, certain stocks faced pressures; notably, Eternal fell 2.1% following reports of the resignation of the Chief Financial Officer from its quick-commerce unit, Blinkit. Additional underperformers included Infosys, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, and Bajaj Finance, which declined 1.3%, 1.1%, 0.8%, and 0.8%, respectively.
