New Delhi, July 20 (H.S.): The domestic stock market faced a decline for the third consecutive week due to uncertainty around a proposed trade deal with the U.S., foreign institutional investors’ selling, and sluggishness in the IT sector. For the week ending July 18, the BSE Sensex closed at 81,757.73 points, down 742.74 points (0.90%), while the NSE Nifty ended at 24,968.40 points, down 181.45 points (0.72%). The BSE Large Cap Index also fell by 0.50%, with notable losers like ICICI Lombard, Tech Mahindra, and HCL Technologies, although HDFC Asset Management and Adani Green Energy saw gains.

In contrast, the BSE Mid Cap Index experienced a weekly gain of 1%, with stocks like Piramal Enterprises and Ajanta Pharmaceuticals rising 6 to 14%. The BSE Small Cap Index rose by up to 1.50%, with stocks like LE Travenue and Laghushree Motors increasing between 15 to 22%. Sector-wise, the BSE Bank Index dropped 1.30%, the IT Index 1.20%, and the Capital Goods Index 1%, while the BSE Realty Index gained 3.70% and the Automobile Index 1.70%.

Foreign institutional investors sold shares worth ₹6,671.57 crore during the week, while domestic institutional investors purchased ₹9,490.54 crore, continuing their buying streak for 13 weeks, which has mitigated the impact of foreign selling on the market.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar