Indian Stock Market Today: Sensex, Nifty Stay Under Pressure as Investors Track Earnings and Global Cues

Indian equity markets remained volatile on Thursday, August 13, with the benchmark Sensex and Nifty 50 trading lower during the session as investors weighed corporate earnings, crude oil movements, global market signals and the prospect of expiry-related volatility. The Nifty was below the 24,400 mark around the afternoon session, while market breadth remained tilted toward declines.

The session began on a cautious note. GIFT Nifty had indicated a weak opening, while Asian markets were largely positive following softer-than-expected US inflation data. Despite the supportive global backdrop, domestic equities struggled to maintain momentum. The Sensex initially fell by more than 100 points and subsequently extended its decline to around 200 points during the morning trade.

Sectoral performance remains mixed

Selling pressure was visible across several important sectors. Metal, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, private banking and consumer-oriented stocks were among the areas facing weakness. At the same time, IT, FMCG, media, realty, chemicals and cement stocks showed pockets of strength, highlighting the uneven nature of the market.

The cautious mood comes after Indian equities had also declined in the previous session. On Wednesday, the Sensex and Nifty extended their losses amid concerns surrounding higher crude prices, geopolitical developments and selling pressure in Tata Group companies. These factors continued to influence investor sentiment at the beginning of Thursday's trade.

Tata Motors gains despite broader market weakness

One of the notable movers on Thursday was Tata Motors. Its shares climbed as much as 6% to Rs 485 on the BSE after the company reported a strong first-quarter performance. Net profit for Q1 FY27 rose 83.3% year-on-year to Rs 2,560 crore, compared with Rs 1,397 crore in the corresponding period a year earlier.

The strong earnings performance attracted positive attention from analysts, with Nomura upgrading its view on the stock while CLSA retained an Outperform rating. The movement in Tata Motors stood out because it came against a generally weak market backdrop.

Strong earnings provide some support

Although the broader indices remained under pressure, several companies benefited from encouraging quarterly results.

Astral was among the prominent gainers after reporting a significant improvement in profitability. Its consolidated net profit increased 51.8% year-on-year to Rs 120.2 crore in the June quarter. The stock rose as much as 9.5% during the session, while brokerage commentary also turned more positive.

Lenskart Solutions also attracted buying interest after reporting a sharp improvement in its first-quarter numbers. Net profit increased 182% year-on-year to Rs 228 crore, while revenue grew 34% and EBITDA rose 61%. The company also recorded product margins above 70%, encouraging several brokerages to maintain positive views on the stock.

Jio Financial Services gained more than 3% after announcing a proposed transaction under which Bank of America would acquire a 49.9% stake in Jio Credit. The transaction value was reported at Rs 18,268 crore, providing a separate positive trigger for the stock.

Individual stocks see sharp moves

Market action was particularly strong among several mid- and small-cap stocks.

Munjal Auto Industries surged nearly 15% and touched a fresh 52-week high after its June-quarter results showed a substantial improvement in performance. KRN Heat Exchanger and Refrigeration also hit its 5% upper circuit following a more than doubling of first-quarter net profit.

Sugar stocks also rallied, with Balrampur Chini Mills, Dhampur Sugar, Dalmia Bharat Sugar, Shree Renuka and EID Parry among the companies gaining. The move followed a rise in domestic sugar prices to around Rs 4,400-4,800 per quintal, with prices having climbed significantly over the preceding month.

On the other side, Thyrocare Technologies faced selling pressure after its promoter, Docon Technologies, sold nearly 10% of the company through a block deal. The stock fell as much as 8% before recovering part of the loss during afternoon trading.

Analysts see consolidation ahead

Market experts highlighted a combination of supportive earnings and persistent macroeconomic risks.

Geojit's Anand James pointed to technical signals suggesting that the Nifty could attempt a recovery toward higher levels, although consolidation could emerge around the 24,490 area. Meanwhile, Geojit's VK Vijayakumar said strong domestic fundamentals, earnings momentum and liquidity flows remained important positives, while elevated crude prices continued to represent a major risk.

The market is therefore entering a phase where company-specific earnings may increasingly determine individual stock performance even as the benchmark indices remain sensitive to global developments, oil prices and domestic positioning.

With expiry-related volatility also in focus, traders are likely to closely monitor movements around key Nifty levels and changes in sectoral leadership through the remainder of the session.

Overall, Thursday's trading session reflected a market caught between improving corporate earnings and continuing macroeconomic uncertainty. While several companies delivered strong results and attracted buying, weakness across major sectors kept the benchmark indices under pressure.