Key Points

The Sensex slipped 153 points, or 0.19 per cent, to close at 81,773.66, while the Nifty fell 62 points, or 0.25 per cent, to settle at 25,046.15.

"The Nifty opened on a firm note but failed to sustain momentum beyond its immediate resistance zone near 25,200, triggering broad-based profit booking and selling pressure across key sectors such as banking, auto, FMCG, and realty," market experts said.

"The index subsequently slipped to a weekly low of 25,008, where buying interest emerged around the psychological support of 25,000," they added.

"Although mid-session recovery attempts were seen, the index faced renewed supply pressure near 25,130-25,150, forming a series of lower highs and lower lows on the intraday chart," experts mentioned.

Broader markets also faced selling pressure. The Nifty Midcap 100 index declined 0.73 per cent, and the Smallcap 100 index was down 0.52 per cent.

Among the sectoral indices, most ended in negative territory except for IT and Consumer Durables.

The Nifty IT index gained 1.51 per cent, supported by strong buying in heavyweights like Infosys, TCS, Coforge, LTIMindtree, HCL Tech, and Tech Mahindra.

However, sectors such as Realty, Media, Auto, and Energy fell more than 1 per cent each.

Nifty Bank, FMCG, Financial Services, Pharma, Metal, and Oil & Gas also ended lower by up to 1 per cent.

Market experts said investors turned cautious amid global uncertainty and profit booking after recent gains.

"The indices witnessed a volatile session, tempered by profit booking after a sharp rally. Investor caution dominated ahead of the Q2 earnings season, as market participants reassessed valuations and growth prospects," market experts added.

"Heightened global uncertainties and the ongoing US government shutdown drove gold to a historical high, reflecting elevated risk aversion. Attention now turns to the September FOMC minutes for signals on the Fed's policy stance," they added.

Analysts mentioned that "Going forward, while global developments remain relevant, market focus is likely to shift toward domestic earnings, macroeconomic data, and the upcoming festive season."

- IANS