The Indian stock markets ended lower on Friday as investors chose to book profits after recent gains.&nbsp;
Both benchmark indices &mdash; Sensex and Nifty &mdash; closed in the red in the final trading session of the week.
The Sensex dropped by 200.15 points, or 0.24 %, to settle at 82,330.59. During the day, it moved between a high of 82,514.81 and a low of 82,146.95.
Similarly, the Nifty slipped by 42.30 points, or 0.17 %, to close at 25,019.80. The Nifty remained in consolidation mode, taking a breather after Thursday's rally.
"Indicators and overlays are consistently pointing towards further strength in the short term. Any dips are likely to be bought into, with support placed at 25,000/24,800,&rdquo; said Rupak De of LKP Securities.
On the higher side, a move above 25,120 could take the index towards 25,250/25,350, he added.
While the headline indices saw declines, the broader market showed strong performance.
Small-cap and mid-cap stocks outperformed, with the Nifty Smallcap100 gaining 1.86 % and the Nifty Midcap100 rising 0.94 %.
Among the Sensex-listed companies, Eternal (formerly Zomato), Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, ITC, and IndusInd Bank were the top gainers.
Their stocks rose between 0.60 % and 1.20 %.
On the flip side, Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech, State Bank of India, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra were among the top losers, with declines ranging from 0.79 % to 2.76 %.
Sector-wise, the markets closed on a mixed note. On the NSE, indices like Nifty IT, Metal, Pharma and Healthcare ended in the red, posting losses of up to 0.84 %.
On the other hand, several sectors saw gains, with Nifty Realty emerging as the top performer, closing 1.6 % higher.
The market volatility gauge, India VIX, also known as the fear index, declined by 2.02 % to settle at 16.55 points on Friday &mdash; indicating a slight easing in market uncertainty.
&ldquo;The overall mood in the market was cautious, as investors chose to lock in profits at higher levels after a strong run-up in recent sessions,&rdquo; market experts said.
The Indian rupee ended slightly higher on Friday at 85.51 against the US dollar, compared to Thursday's closing rate of 85.54.
&ldquo;Looking ahead, the USD-INR spot rate is expected to find support around the 84.90 level, while facing resistance near 85.94,&rdquo; Dilip Parmar of HDFC Securities said.
&mdash;IANS
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Stock market graph showing decline and volatility

Sensex drops 200 pts, Nifty down 42 as investors book profits; smallcaps outperform

Sensex, Nifty Slip As Investors Book Profits

Sensex drops 200 pts, Nifty down 42 as investors book profits; smallcaps outperform

May 16, 2025 | 22:57 IST