Indian equity benchmarks ended marginally lower in a subdued, range-bound session ahead of the Independence Day holiday. The BSE Sensex fell 70.71 points (-0.09%) to close at 78,009.25, while the NSE Nifty 50 shed 29.85 points (-0.12%) to settle at 24,366.00.
Sectoral performance remained mixed throughout the day. Defensive plays such as FMCG and Pharmaceuticals attracted selective buying interest, lending support to the indices. Conversely, Auto, Banking, and IT counters faced mild selling pressure, keeping market gains in check. Mid-cap and Small-cap indices traded in tandem with the benchmarks, reflecting muted risk appetite among retail investors.
On the macroeconomic front, Brent crude oil prices traded in a tight band, easing immediate inflation concerns. The Indian Rupee remained stable against the US Dollar. Institutional flows reflected a balanced posture, with robust Domestic Institutional Investor (DII) buying offsetting moderate Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) outflows amid mixed global market cues.