NEW DELHI, Feb. 25 — The Indian stock market ended on a flat note Wednesday, tracking positive global cues but losing momentum later in the session. The BSE Sensex closed at 82,276.07, up 50 points, or 0.06 percent, while the Nifty 50 ended 58 points, or 0.23 percent, higher at 25,482.50, remaining below the key 25,500 level.
Among sectoral indices, auto, healthcare, information technology, and metal stocks led the gains, while telecom, fast-moving consumer goods, oil and gas, and PSU bank stocks ended lower.
The market opened on a strong note, with the Nifty 50 starting at 25,512.60, up 87.95 points, or 0.35 percent. The Sensex opened at 82,530.22, rising 304.30 points, or 0.37 percent, reflecting early optimism driven by global market strength.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, said Indian markets opened higher due to upbeat global sentiment and a rebound in U.S. technology stocks as uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence eased. He also noted that dovish signals from the Bank of Japan supported regional sentiment and helped Asian markets remain firm.
However, he said the initial gains faded as renewed tariff-related comments from U.S. President Donald Trump reignited global trade concerns, limiting market advances and contributing to rupee depreciation.
“Looking ahead, geopolitical tensions such as U.S.-Iran developments, along with AI and tariff-related news flow, are likely to shape market direction in the near term,” Nair said.
Sudeep Shah, Head of Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities, said the Nifty Metal index emerged as the top sectoral gainer, followed by Nifty Pharma, which registered a fresh breakout on daily charts. Meanwhile, Nifty PSU Bank saw profit booking after a strong run and ended as the top sectoral loser, followed by Nifty FMCG.
Among individual stocks, HCL Tech and Bajaj Auto were the top gainers in the Nifty pack, while Reliance Industries and State Bank of India were the biggest losers.
Shah added that midcap and smallcap indices outperformed the frontline indices. The midcap index formed a small-body candle with minor upper and lower shadows on daily charts, while the smallcap index posted a higher close, forming a small bullish candle.
Market breadth remained strong, with the advance-decline ratio favoring gains at the close. A total of 318 stocks out of the Nifty 500 universe ended higher.
Jateen Trivedi, Vice President and Research Analyst for Commodity and Currency at LKP Securities, said the rupee traded in a narrow range near 90.90 as investors remained cautious amid uncertainty surrounding the U.S. trade framework.
He noted that after a U.S. court dismissed parts of Trump’s tariff structure, renewed comments from the president regarding potential consequences for countries revisiting trade terms kept currency markets on edge.
“For now, the rupee remains range-bound, with support seen near 91.25 and resistance around 90.50, awaiting clearer direction from global trade developments and movement in the dollar index,” he said.
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