MUMBAI: The Indian equity markets posted losses on Friday, amid profit booking due to caution ahead of the Union Budget 2026 on February 1 and weakness in metal stocks.
At the closing bell, Sensex lost 269 points, or 0.36 per cent, to settle at 82, 269. Nifty declined 98 points, or 0.39 per cent, to close at 25, 320.
The broader markets showed divergence, with the benchmark indices as Nifty Midcap 100 index lost only 0.17 per cent, while the NSE Smallcap 100 added 0.32 per cent.
On the sectoral front, indices traded mixed, as metals suffered the steepest losses. Nifty Metal fell 5.34 per cent, while IT eased 1.02 per cent. Nifty Media rose 2.07 per cent, while consumer durables gained 1.09 per cent. Nifty FMCG was up 1.41 per cent.