Indian equity markets experienced a downturn for the fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, with both the Sensex and Nifty closing in negative territory. The S&P BSE Sensex dropped 386.47 points, or 0.47%, to close at 81,715.63. The NSE Nifty 50 retreated 112.60 points, or 0.45%, ending at 25,056.90.
Several factors contributed to this market decline. Realty and IT stocks faced significant losses, dragging down the overall indices. Auto shares also contributed to the downward pressure, retracing some of their recent gains. Concerns regarding potential changes to U.S. H-1B visa rules also weighed on investor sentiment, particularly impacting IT stocks. Persistent foreign fund outflows further exacerbated the negative trend, overshadowing any hopes for a boost in consumption due to the festive season.
On the Sensex, Tata Motors, Bharat Electronics, Ultratech Cement, Tech Mahindra, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Axis Bank were among the top losers, with declines ranging from 1% to 2.7%. The realty sector experienced the most significant drop among sectoral indices, falling by 2.47%. Godrej Properties, Oberoi Realty, and DLF Ltd were among the major losers in the realty space. The Nifty Midcap index ended 1% lower, while the Smallcap index fell 0.6%, indicating broad-based selling pressure.
Despite the overall negative sentiment, some stocks and sectors managed to buck the trend. FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) was the only sector to end in the green. Trent, SBI, Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki, and ONGC were among the major gainers on the Nifty. Bajaj Electricals saw a significant intraday gain after announcing the acquisition of Morphy Richards. Tata Investment shares jumped following the announcement of a stock split.
Globally, European markets traded lower, while U.S. stock futures indicated a cautious start. Asian markets presented a mixed picture, with South Korea's Kospi ending lower, while Japan's Nikkei 225, Shanghai's SSE Composite, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed in positive territory.
In other news, the Rupee recovered from early losses to settle almost flat at 88.72 against the U.S. dollar. Swiggy shares ended lower after its board approved an exit from Rapido. The retail investor sentiment surrounding the Nifty 50 shifted from "bearish" to "neutral" by the market close.
