The Indian stock market ended the day on a muted note on December 26, with both the Sensex and Nifty 50 indices closing flat amid mixed performances across major sectors and stocks. Lacklustre global cues due to holiday-thinned trading weighed on investor sentiment, as focus shifted towards the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy and concerns surrounding potential tariff adjustments.

Sensex and Nifty 50 Performance

The Sensex opened at 78,557.28, marginally higher than its previous close of 78,472.87. It fluctuated between an intraday high of 78,898.37 and a low of 78,173.38, finally closing at 78,472.48. Similarly, the Nifty 50 opened at 23,775.80, with highs and lows of 23,854.50 and 23,653.60, respectively, before settling at 23,750.20, marking a modest gain of 0.10%.

Sectoral Indices Movement

Among the sectoral indices:

• Nifty Auto, Healthcare, and Pharma recorded gains of nearly 1%, reflecting positive investor interest.
• Nifty Media fell sharply by over 1%, becoming the biggest loser of the day.
• Nifty PSU Bank showed resilience, rising by 0.31%, while Nifty Bank and Private Bank indices slipped slightly by 0.12% and 0.16%, respectively.

Stocks in Focus

Several individual stocks made headlines:

1. Panacea Biotech surged to its 5% upper circuit after securing a $15 million (~Rs 127 crore) order from UNICEF for polio vaccines.
2. Bharat Forge announced a €39 million (Rs 345 crore) investment in its German subsidiary to improve financial health.
3. Jammu & Kashmir Bank appointed Amitava Chatterjee as its new MD and CEO, driving positive sentiment.
4. Ramky Infrastructure gained on receiving a Rs 215.1 crore contract for sewage system maintenance in Hyderabad.

Broader Market Performance

While the BSE Midcap index outperformed the benchmark with a 0.11% gain, the BSE Smallcap index lagged, posting a decline of 0.24%. This divergence highlights a mixed outlook across market segments.

Key Developments in Market Movements

• Welspun Corp rose on winning contracts worth SAR 57 million (~Rs 130 crore) to supply steel pipes.
• Unimech Aerospace and Manufacturing's IPO attracted strong demand, being oversubscribed by 118.5X on its third day.
• Indian housing market trends showed a 4% decline in sales but a 21% rise in average prices, driven by higher input costs.

Conclusion

The stock market's flat performance reflects investor caution amidst global and domestic uncertainties. With the US Federal Reserve's rate decisions and tariff policies looming, markets are likely to remain sensitive in the near term. Meanwhile, stock-specific developments continue to drive localized momentum, offering opportunities amidst broader volatility.

The Upcoming IPOs in this week and coming weeks are Citichem India, Indo Farm, Technichem Organics, Leo Dry Fruits. The Current active IPO is Anya Polytech and Unimech Aerospace.