Mumbai, August 21 (TNA) Indian equity markets ended the session on a largely flat note, with the Sensex closing just 3 points higher at 77,540.83 and the Nifty adding 20 points to finish at 24,252.00. The muted close reflected a cautious mood in the market, as traders weighed mixed global cues and sector-specific moves through the day.
The broader market traded in a narrow range for most of the session, with investors largely holding back after a volatile run in recent sessions. While benchmark indices managed to stay in the green, the gains were capped by weakness in select IT, auto and FMCG counters.
Sectoral trends were mixed. Metal, energy and private bank stocks provided support, while FMCG and auto shares were among the main drags. Reports also pointed to pressure in some technology names, which kept the upside limited even as a few large-cap stocks supported the indices.
Among the top gainers during the session were Kotak Mahindra Bank, M&M, Eicher Motors, Eternal and Sun Pharma, while JSW Steel, Grasim, TCS, Infosys and HDFC Life were among the key laggards. In the Sensex pack, stocks such as Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharat Electronics and Tata Steel held up better, while TCS, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Titan and Hindustan Unilever came under selling pressure.
The market’s range-bound finish suggests that investors are still looking for stronger domestic or global triggers before taking a decisive position. For now, the trend remains one of cautious buying on dips rather than broad-based momentum.