By – Mr. Vikram Kasat, Head – Advisory, PL Capital.

“Equity markets remained under pressure for a third straight session on Tuesday, with benchmark indices ending over 1% lower after a volatile start. The Sensex dropped 872 points to close at 81,186, while the Nifty slipped 261 points to settle at 24,683. Profit booking in heavyweights, weak cues from institutional flows, and caution ahead of key earnings contributed to the slide. Both FIIs and DIIs were net sellers, with foreign investors offloading ₹526 crore worth of shares.

 Key highlights:

• Broader market action was mixed with 1,455 stocks advancing and 2,517 declining on the BSE.

• Over 80 stocks touched 52-week highs, while 192 hit lower circuits.

• IT stocks saw renewed interest, though large caps, especially those facing index exclusion risks, dragged indices lower.

 Bottom line:

Despite a bright global backdrop and select stock-specific action, domestic benchmarks struggled under selling pressure, signalling near-term caution and consolidation.”