Stock Market Closing Bell: RIL rout rattles D-Street; Sensex slides 376 pts, Nifty ends below 26,200

Stock Market Closing Bell: Indian stock market indices ended up in red for second consecutive session on Tuesday, sharp losses in heavyweight stocks such as Reliance Industries (RIL) and Trent, weighed on the benchmark indices.

At the close, the NSE Nifty 50 ended at 26,178.70, down 71.60 points or 0.27 per cent, while the BSE Sensex settled at 85,063.34, slipping 376.28 points or 0.44 per cent.

The Nifty Oil and Gas index emerged as the top loser, down 1.75 per cent, while the Nifty Healthcare index was the top gainer, rising 1.85 per cent.

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The Indian rupee ended at 90.1650 per U.S. dollar, strengthening by 0.1 per cent from the previous close, providing modest support to import-heavy sectors.

Selling pressure intensified after RIL shares registered their steepest intraday fall in over eight months, dropping more than 4 per cent amid reports that brokerage firm CLSA removed the stock from its India model portfolio. Shares of Trent, the Tata Group’s retail arm, tumbled 9 per cent following its third-quarter business update, emerging as one of the biggest drags on the benchmarks.

On the Sensex, Trent, Reliance Industries, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ITC, and HDFC Bank ended as the top losers, exerting significant pressure on the index. In contrast, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, Hindustan Unilever, State Bank of India, and Tata Consultancy Services provided some support, closing among the session’s top gainers.

Broader markets also remained under pressure. The NSE Nifty Midcap 100 declined 0.19 per cent, while the NSE Nifty Smallcap 100 ended 0.22 per cent lower, indicating cautious sentiment beyond frontline stocks.

Copper hits 52-Week high; Hindustan Copper surges

Hindustan Copper shares jumped 4 per cent to hit a 52-week high, following record copper prices. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), copper futures for February delivery rose by Rs 19.05, or 1.43 per cent, to Rs 1,350.80 per kg, with a turnover of 2,223 lots, driven by strong spot demand.

Zinc and Aluminium show mixed trend

Zinc prices edged higher, with February futures up Rs 3.50, or 1.13 per cent, to Rs 313.60 per kg, on a turnover of 725 lots, as traders stayed cautious amid a lack of fresh market triggers.

Meanwhile, aluminium prices declined, with February contracts falling Rs 5.15, or 1.66 per cent, to Rs 314.95 per kg, across 958 lots, as participants trimmed positions on a weak trend in the spot market.

Gold extends gains amid Fed comments, Venezuela tensions

Gold prices extended gains on Tuesday, hitting a one-week high following dovish comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials and geopolitical concerns over Venezuela.

Spot gold was up 0.4 per cent at $4,463.63 per ounce as of 0722 GMT, after rising nearly 3 per cent in the previous session. Bullion had previously hit a record $4,549.71 per ounce on December 26 and delivered its best annual performance since 1979, surging 64 per cent in 2025.

Rekha Jhunjhunwala likely exits Canara Bank stake

In equities news, veteran investor Rekha Jhunjhunwala has likely exited her holdings in Canara Bank, marking the end of a profitable investment journey in the state-run lender. Shareholding data for the December quarter shows her stake fell below 1 per cent for the first time, delivering multibagger returns over several years.