Mumbai, India | January 23, 2026
Stock Market Closes Lower After Volatile Session
Indian equity markets ended Friday’s session deep in the red, weighed down by heavy selling across heavyweight stocks and persistent foreign fund outflows. Both benchmark indices posted losses of nearly 1%, reflecting weak investor sentiment on the final trading day of the week.
The BSE Sensex fell 769.67 points (0.94%) to close at 81,537.70. During intraday trade, the index touched a low of 81,471.82, down more than 835 points.
Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty 50 declined 241.25 points (0.95%) to settle at 25,048.65, slipping below the crucial 25,100 mark. The index hit an intraday low of 25,025.30.
💱 Rupee Ends Near Record Low Against Dollar
The Indian rupee remained under pressure amid sustained foreign fund selling and a global risk-off mood. The currency touched an all-time low of 92 per US dollar during the session before recovering slightly to close at 91.88 (provisional) against the greenback.
📉 Why Did the Market Fall? Key Reasons Explained
The market decline was driven by multiple factors, led by intense selling in heavyweight stocks, which dragged benchmark indices lower.
During afternoon trade, shares of Axis Bank, Power Grid, IndiGo, and Eternal witnessed sharp declines ranging from 2% to over 6%, weakening overall market sentiment. Stocks of the Adani Group plunged as much as 13%, adding to downside pressure.
The sell-off was not limited to a single sector. Auto, media, financials, realty, and oil & gas stocks all saw notable losses. The real estate sector was among the worst hit, declining more than 2%, further amplifying market weakness.
Another major drag came from persistent foreign selling. January marked the 13th consecutive trading session in which foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in Indian equities, keeping markets under sustained pressure.
🌏 Asian Markets End Mixed; US Stocks Gain
Asian markets showed mixed trends. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.25%, while TOPIX gained 0.27%. South Korea’s KOSPI advanced 1.11%, and KOSDAQ added 0.74%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng futures indicated a stronger opening.
Overnight in the US, markets closed higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 306.78 points (0.63%) to end at 49,384.01. The S&P 500 rose 0.55% to 6,913.35, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.91% to 23,436.02.
🛢️ Crude Oil Prices Rise
Crude oil prices moved higher on Friday. Global benchmark Brent Crude climbed 1.03% to $64.72 per barrel.
On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), crude oil futures for February delivery surged ₹114 (2.1%) to ₹5,554 per barrel, with trading volume of 14,267 lots, reflecting strong buying interest.
💰 FII-DII Data
According to exchange data, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth ₹2,549.80 crore on Thursday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) stepped in as buyers, purchasing shares worth ₹4,222.98 crore.
In the previous session, the Sensex had closed 397.74 points higher at 82,307.37, while the Nifty ended up 132.40 points at 25,289.90.
