Closing Bell: Sensex and Nifty 50 Pause After Monday's Rally; Markets Close Flat - IndusInd Bank Tops Losers

Stock Market Closing Bell: The Indian stock markets closed flat on Tuesday, taking a breather after a strong rally on Monday that saw benchmark indices hit fresh highs. On Monday, the Sensex surged over 850 points and the Nifty crossed the 24,000 mark, pushing the total market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies back above the $5 trillion mark after three months.

Continuing the rally, on April 22, 2025, the BSE Sensex closed at 79,595.59, up by 187.09 points, or 0.24% from the previous close of 79,408.50. The index opened at 79,728.39, reached a high of 79,824.30, and touched a low of 79,253.44 during the session.

On the NSE, the Nifty 50 closed at 24,167.25, up by 41.70 points or 0.17%. Of the 2,986 stocks traded, 1,834 advanced, 1,059 declined, and 93 remained unchanged. Additionally, 93 stocks hit their 52-week highs, while 71 stocks hit their 52-week lows.

The market showed some volatility, with 155 stocks locked in upper circuits and 46 in lower circuits.

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Top Gainers And Losers

Among the top gainers, ITC surged by 2.44% to Rs 433.10, followed by Hindustan Unilever (+2.29%, Rs 2,403.70), Mahindra & Mahindra (+1.82%, Rs 2,815), and HDFC Bank (+1.54%, Rs 1,957.20). Other notable gainers included Eternal (+1.17%, Rs 236.90), Kotak Bank (+0.78%, Rs 2,260), and Sun Pharma (+0.54%, Rs 1,753.50). Tata Motors, SBI, Tech Mahindra, and ICICI Bank also showed modest gains.

On the downside, IndusInd Bank saw the largest drop, falling by 4.73% to Rs 788.90, followed by Power Grid (-2.27%, Rs 312.70), Bharti Airtel (-1.93%, Rs 1,847.30), and Infosys (-1.89%, Rs 1,423). Other losers included Adani Ports, Bajaj Finserv, and Reliance Industries.

Nifty Sectoral Performance

In terms of sectoral performance, Nifty Realty led the gains with a rise of 2.42%, while Nifty FMCG (+1.89%) and Nifty Pharma (+0.41%) also saw positive movement. On the flip side, Nifty IT declined by 0.57%, and Nifty Oil & Gas remained almost flat with a marginal drop of 0.04%.

Reason for Today's Rally in Global and Indian Markets

Flight from U.S. Assets

Global markets struggled on Tuesday, mainly due to a sharp sell-off in U.S. assets, driven by concerns over President Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. This pressure caused Wall Street indexes to fall by 2.5% on Monday, leading to the dollar hitting a three-year low. This decline in U.S. markets, along with concerns about the independence of the Federal Reserve, pushed investors to seek safer assets, which benefited some sectors globally.

Crude Oil Recovery

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, crude oil prices rose by Rs 65 to Rs 5,401 per barrel in futures trade on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). This jump was driven by strong spot demand and increased buying by traders. The May delivery contract saw a 1.28% rise, with over 14,850 lots traded.

Globally, oil prices were also on the rise—WTI crude was up 0.98% at $63.70, while Brent crude climbed 0.94% to $66.88 per barrel in New York. Analysts say speculation and global cues are keeping oil prices elevated.

FII and DII Activity in India

In India, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued to buy stocks, purchasing equities worth Rs 1,970.17 crore on April 21. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also contributed, with net purchases of Rs 246.59 crore. The sustained investment from both FIIs and DIIs provided support to the market, boosting investor confidence.

Weak U.S. Dollar

On Monday, the Indian rupee appreciated by 33 paise to 85.05 against the US dollar, supported by a sharp drop in the dollar index, which hit a three-year low due to rising concerns over Trump’s tariff policies.