Sensex, Nifty 50 end in the red; investors lose ₹3 lakh crore— 10 key highlights of Indian stock market today

Frontline indices, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, ended with nominal losses, snapping their two-day winning run on Wednesday, April 30. The Sensex closed 46 points, or 0.06 per cent, lower at 80,242.24, while the Nifty 50 ended 2 points down at 24,334.20. The mid and small-cap segments saw significant selling as the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices ended with losses of 0.72 per cent and 1.74 per cent, respectively.

The volatility index, India VIX, jumped nearly 5 per cent to 18.22, indicating increased nervousness among market participants.

Due to the poor show of mid and small-cap segments, the overall market capitalisation of the firms listed on the BSE dropped to nearly ₹423 lakh crore from ₹426 lakh crore in the previous session, making investors poorer by about ₹3 lakh crore in a single session.

On a monthly basis, the Sensex and Nifty 50 rose 3.65 per cent and 3.46 per cent, respectively, marking their second consecutive month of gains. In March, the indices advanced 5.8 per cent and 6.3 per cent, respectively.

Indian stock market: 10 key highlights of the day

Let's take a look at 10 key highlights of the stock market today:

1. What weighed on Indian stock market today?

The domestic market sentiment is low amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

According to media reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given freedom to military chiefs to respond to last week's Pahalgam terror attack.

Meanwhile, Pakistan claimed that it has “credible evidence” which indicates that India is preparing to launch military action within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Concerns are mounting that further escalation between the two countries could spiral into a deeper conflict, damaging economic growth prospects already under pressure from the global slowdown and ongoing tariff war.

"The broad market performed well this month, driven by reduced tariff risks, a potential US-India trade deal, and strong FII inflows. However, momentum is being capped by rising tensions between India and Pakistan and muted Q4 results," Vinod Nair, the head of research at Geojit Investments Limited, noted.

"This negative bias is expected to persist in the near term, but the long-term outlook remains positive due to the minimal financial impact from the conflict. Consequently, any market consolidation may be used as an investment opportunity."

2. Top Nifty 50 gainers today

Shares of HDFC Life Insurance Company (up 4.19 per cent), Maruti Suzuki India (up 3.18 per cent) and SBI Life Insurance Company (up 1.80 per cent) ended as the top gainers.

3. Top Nifty 50 losers today

As many as 35 stocks ended in the red in the Nifty 50 index today. Shares of Bajaj Finserv (down 5.61 per cent), Bajaj Finance (down 5.27 per cent) and Trent (down 4.76 per cent) ended as the top losers.

4. Sectoral indies today

Most sectoral indices ended with losses, with Nifty PSU Bank (down 2.23 per cent) and Media (down 2.18 per cent) ending as the top losers.

The Nifty Bank slipped 0.55 per cent, while the Private Bank index ended 0.23 per cent lower.

On the other hand, the Realty index jumped 1.91 per cent. Nifty Pharma and Healthcare indices rose 0.44 per cent each.

5. Most active stocks in terms of volume

Vodafone Idea (39.5 crore shares), Vishal Mega Mart (10.60 crore shares) and Suzlon (5.6 crore shares) were the most active stocks in terms of volume on the NSE.

6. Four stocks jump 10% on NSE

Sonata Software, Global Vectra Helicorp, Vishal Mega Mart and Jet Freight Logistics were the four stocks that rose 10 per cent or more on the NSE.

7. Five stocks crash more than 8% on NSE

Shares of Premier Explosives, G-Tec Jainx Education, Praj Industries, Oswal Agro Mills and GSS Infotech crashed more than 8 per cent on the NSE.

8. More than 80 stocks hit lower circuits on NSE

As many as 81 stocks, including Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy, Senco Gold and Iris Business Services, hit their lower circuits in intraday trade on the NSE.

9. Advance-decline ratio

The advance-decline ratio tilted heavily towards the decliners.

Some 2,228 stocks declined while only 631 advanced and 68 remained unchanged on the NSE.

10. 60 stocks hit 52-week highs on the BSE

Anupam Rasayan India, Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and Max Financial Services were among the 60 stocks that hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade on the BSE.

On the flip side, 52 stocks, including Jai Balaji Industries, Sheela Foam and Hilton Metal Forging, hit their 52-week lows.

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Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions, as market conditions can change rapidly, and circumstances may vary.