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SENSEX and NIFTY Decline Amid West Asian Tensions, Nestle and Eternal Lead Losses

On Thursday, October 22, the SENSEX closed at 73,249.39, a decline of 460.30 points or 0.62%, while the NIFTY50 finished lower by 123.70 points or 0.54% at 22,687.65. The benchmark indices fell for the third consecutive session as escalating tensions in West Asia pushed Brent crude oil prices above $112 per barrel. The market opened lower, with the NIFTY50 dropping more than 1% intraday before late‑session buying helped trim the decline. The rupee weakened to trade near 94.8 against the dollar after eight straight sessions of gains.

Foreign institutional investors sold shares worth ₹3,458.70 crore on Thursday, while domestic institutional investors bought equities worth ₹2,891.32 crore on a net basis, according to exchange data. The SENSEX fell as much as 0.96% to hit an intraday low of 73,005.11, and the NIFTY50 tumbled as much as 1.12% to touch the session’s low of 22,554.85. Global cues remained negative, with a broad sell‑off across Asian markets contributing to the downward pressure on Indian equities.

The NIFTY50 top losers were led by Nestle India, which closed 2.78% lower after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued notices for misleading claims and non‑compliant promotions involving two food products, 'Lactogen Pro 1 Powder' and 'Nan Excella Pro Stage 1'. Eternal fell 2.53%, HDFC Life Insurance Company dropped 2.09%, Tata Motors PV declined 2.07%, and Reliance Industries Ltd slipped 2.03%. These companies were among the other top losers on the day.

Bajaj Finance emerged as the top gainer on the NIFTY50, rising 1.74%, followed by Cipla at 1.29%, UltraTech Cement at 1%, ICICI Bank at 0.97%, and Bajaj Auto at 0.82%. In the NIFTY Midcap 100, the index fell 0.87% to close at 57,063.95, with KEI Industries leading the losses at 8.45%. Swiggy, Kalyan Jewellers India, Exide Industries, and Oracle Financial Services Software also posted declines of 5.48%, 4.78%, 4.19%, and 4.09% respectively.

Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) was the standout performer in the midcap segment, ending 3.89% higher and hitting a 52‑week high on October 22. IHCL upgraded its consolidated revenue guidance for FY27 by 300 basis points to 15‑17% from 12‑14% earlier, and reported a 22.7% year‑on‑year surge in consolidated net profit to ₹349.49 crore for the July‑September quarter of FY27, compared to ₹284.92 crore in the same period last year. Consolidated revenue from operations climbed 21.73% YoY to ₹2,484.32 crore.

In the NIFTY Smallcap 100, the index closed at 18,275.90, down 211.40 points or 1.14%. Top losers included Cupid at 6.38%, Gallantt Ispat at 5.88%, HFCL Ltd at 5%, Aarti Industries at 4.89%, and Sterlite Technologies at 4.85%. Top gainers were Kaynes Technology India at 4.08%, Sagility at 2.21%, Acutaas Chemicals at 2.14%, Pine Labs at 1.98%, and Piramal Pharma at 1.96%. The day’s performance reflected a mix of sectoral pressures and isolated corporate gains amid broader market weakness.