Stock market closing: Nifty, Sensex close the day in red, Dr. Reddy, ONGC shine

Both Sensex and Nifty closed the week in red, as Sensex closed at 79,032.73 points, down by 0.27%, while Nifty closed at 24,010.60 points, down by 0.14%. As for sectoral indices, pharma and oil and gas took the lead, rallying by 1.11% and 1.64%, respectively, during the day. Nifty bank, financial services, and media closed the day in red, while Nifty private banks lost as much as 1.24% today.

Dr. Reddy (up by 2.63%), ONGC (up by 2.56%), Reliance (up by 2.18%), SBI Life (up by 1.88%) and Hero Moto Corp (up by 1.91%) remained the day's biggest gainers. Axis (down by 1.95%), ICICI (down by 1.86%), Kotak (down by 1.51%), and IndusInd Bank (down by 1.48%), along with Bharti Airtel (down by 1.82%), lost significant ground during the day.

Out of the 2,758 stocks traded during the day, 1,495 saw advances, while 1,180 saw declines. Prices of 128 stocks hit their 52-week high, while 18 stocks hit their 52-week low.

Mr. Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd., notes that the markets traded within a narrow range throughout the day, closing nearly unchanged after a recent surge. 'Initially positive, the session saw profit-taking in key heavyweights that offset early gains, resulting in the Nifty settling around 24,009.30 levels, down by 0.15%. Despite this, sectors like energy, pharma, and metal ended in positive territory, contributing to gains of around 0.5%–0.9% in broader indices..".

"Looking ahead, there's a possibility of consolidation in the benchmark index following recent upward movement, with support expected around the 23,700–23,900 range on any declines. Banking stocks are currently consolidating, while sectors such as IT, energy, and FMCG are buoying the index higher. Similar market dynamics are anticipated in the upcoming session, so traders should strategize accordingly," he continued.

Rajesh Bhosale, Equity Technical Analyst, Angel One saw this as an exceptional week for the market, and cautioned that some cooling was on the cards.

"It was an exceptional week for the bulls as markets reached new milestones. The week began on a negative note on Monday, with prices testing the previous week's lows. However, the bulls saw this as an opportunity and pushed prices higher. Prices continued to climb for four consecutive sessions, surpassing the 24,000 level for the first time. On Friday, the market opened positively and hit a new high of 24174, but some profit-taking in the second half led to a close just above 24000, marking a weekly gain of over 2%," he noted.

Amidst all the key events, June was a remarkable month for the markets, with gains exceeding 6.5%. While the market appears to be in a strong bull run, the next move in the coming week might be challenging as oscillators across all major time frames are in overbought territory. Often, overbought conditions indicate potential inherent signs; however, in the near term, a cool-down cannot be ruled out. While taking contra-bets and shorting the market is not advised, taking some profits is prudent, as a correction, either in price or time, is anticipated." Bhosale said.

IPO market

The primary market is gearing up for another stellar period, given that three companies launched their initial public offerings (IPOs) to raise approximately ₹2,208 crore this week. Mahavir Lunawat, Managing Director, Pantomath Capital Advisors Pvt. Ltd. notes that with political stability restored, stock markets are once again on the rise, and the Nifty and Sensex indices have hit record highs.

"Optimism is especially pronounced in the IPO market, as Hyundai Motor India, the country's second-largest carmaker, is planning a huge ₹25,000 crore IPO this year, which would be the biggest in India's history. We expect significant capital to be deployed in public markets and strong demand for both new-age and conventional companies in the coming months," he said.