D-Street Rout: Rs 4.7 lakh crore mcap erased as Sensex tumbles 1,000 points, Nifty ends below 23,900

Closing Bell: Indian equity markets ended sharply lower on Friday, with the Sensex falling over 900 points and the Nifty slipping below the 23,900 mark amid broad-based selling pressure across sectors.

The total market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies declined sharply on April 24, 2026. It fell from Rs 4,66,39,864.88 crore on April 23, 2026, to Rs 4,61,65,759.53 crore, leading to a single-day erosion of Rs 4,74,105.35 crore (approx. Rs 4.74 lakh crore) in investor wealth.

The BSE Sensex declined 982.71 points, or 1.27 per cent, to close at 76,681.29. The NSE Nifty 50 also fell 275.10 points, or 1.14 per cent, to settle at 23,897.95.

Top Gainers and Losers

Indian equity markets ended lower on Friday, with broad-based selling pressure seen across major indices and heavy losses in IT stocks.

Among top losers, Infosys fell 7.05 per cent, HCL Technologies dropped 5.83 per cent, Tata Consultancy Services declined 4.77 per cent, and Tech Mahindra lost 4.04 per cent. Sun Pharma slipped 3.65 per cent, while ICICI Bank, Asian Paints and Hindustan Unilever declined between 1.71 per cent and 1.77 per cent.

Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Industries, Maruti Suzuki, UltraTech Cement and Adani Ports also closed lower.

On the gainers’ side, Trent rose 0.73 per cent, Bajaj Finance gained 0.42 per cent, State Bank of India advanced 0.36 per cent, and HDFC Bank edged up 0.13 per cent. Kotak Mahindra Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra also ended with marginal gains.

Nifty Broader Market Indicies

Broader markets also ended in the red. The Nifty 50 declined 1.14 per cent to close at 23,897.95. The Nifty Next 50 fell 0.75 per cent, while the Nifty 100 and Nifty 200 slipped over 1 per cent each. Mid-cap and small-cap indices also closed lower, with the Nifty Microcap index falling the most at 1.40 per cent.

Nifty Sectoral Indices

Sectoral indices showed widespread weakness, led by a sharp 5.29 per cent fall in the Nifty IT index. Pharma, healthcare, media, FMCG, auto and financial services sectors also ended lower.

Banking indices showed relative resilience, with Nifty Bank down 0.38 per cent and PSU banks slipping 0.15 per cent. Metal, oil and gas, and chemical indices also closed in negative territory.

What Triggered Big Fall? | Anil Singhvi Explains

Market expert Anil Singhvi said the fall was driven by a combination of global and domestic factors, including rising crude oil prices, continued foreign investor selling and weak global cues.

“FII is clearly selling with full force. The screen shows continuous outflow pressure,” Singhvi said, adding that global uncertainty and volatility in US markets also weighed on sentiment.

He said crude oil prices near the USD 90 per barrel level have raised concerns in the market, while sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) selling has further deepened pressure on domestic equities.

Singhvi noted that weakness in the IT sector also contributed to the decline. “HCL Tech gave weak guidance earlier, and now Infosys has also fallen sharply. This shows chances of a downgrade in the IT sector,” he said.

He also highlighted weakness in the rupee as an additional negative factor, saying the currency has been declining for several sessions, adding to overall market stress.

Technical Levels

On technical levels, Singhvi said the Nifty has reached a crucial support zone. “23,850 is the last important support for Nifty. If it breaks and closes below this level, the trend will change from positive to neutral,” he said.

He added that a breakdown below this level could drag the index towards 23,450–23,550. For Bank Nifty, he identified 55,600 as a key support level, warning that a break below it could lead to further downside.

“Bank Nifty is also near its critical support zone. Below 55,600, the next target could move towards 53,700 to 54,150,” Singhvi said. He advised investors to remain cautious during any recovery attempts, stating that rebounds towards higher levels may face selling pressure.

“In any recovery, investors should reduce positions. If Nifty comes to the 24,000–24,150 zone, use it to cut exposure,” he said. He added that mid-cap and small-cap stocks are also likely to remain under pressure as long as large-cap weakness continues in the market.

Stock Market Update

Indian equity markets witnessed broad-based negative sentiment on Friday, with declining stocks far outnumbering advancing ones.

As per NSE statistics, a total of 3,396 stocks were traded during the session. Of these, 2,429 stocks declined, while 863 advanced and 104 remained unchanged, indicating weak market breadth.

A total of 95 stocks hit their 52-week highs, while 30 stocks touched their 52-week lows during the session. In derivatives-related trade, 78 stocks were locked in the upper circuit, whereas 95 stocks hit the lower circuit. The overall market capitalisation on NSE stood at around Rs 460.6 lakh crore as of April 24, 2026.