Sensex Crash Today: 30-scrip index sinks below 81,500 as market continues to fall for 2nd day; Bajaj Finance tumbles 5%

Domestic equity benchmarks registered sharp losses on Friday, July 25, amid selling pressure across most sectors. Financial stocks took a major blow after Bajaj Finance posted a weak set of quarterly numbers. Investors weighed a newly signed trade pact with the UK that will lower duties on several items, including whisky and cars. 

Both headline indices fell 0.9 per cent. The Sensex gave up 721 points to end at 81,463.1 while the Nifty50 settled at 24,837, down 225.1 points for the day.

Investors awaited more corporate earnings from India Inc for domestic cues.  

Bajaj Finance was the worst hit stock and the biggest contributor to losses in both main indices, falling 4.8 per cent for the day. Ripples were visible across the BFSI pocket on Dalal Street. The Nifty Bank and Nifty Financial Services indices closed 0.9 per cent lower each.   

Top Nifty 50 gainers & losers

Shriram Finance, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Auto, Tech Mahindra, Power Grid, Bajaj Finserv and Adani Enterprises–closing between 2.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent lower–were also among the top losers in the Nifty50 basket. 

On the flipside, Cipla, SBI Life and Apollo Hospitals–closing between 1.5 per cent and 3.2 per cent higher–rose the most among the seven gainers in the 50-blue-chip basket.

Bajaj Finance shares and Q1 FY26 results

On Thursday, the NBFC reported a mixed set of numbers with an in-line net profit for the quarter ended June 30 but deteriorating asset quality. Its net profit jumped around 20 per cent to Rs 4,700 crore with 22 per cent growth in NII that almost met the mark. 

Bajaj Finance’s net non-performing assets increased to 0.5 per cent of total loans from 0.38 per cent the previous quarter. 

Nestle India Q1 earnings  

Also on Thursday, Nestle India reported a worse-than-expected 13.4 per cent fall in its net profit to Rs 646.6 crore for the April-June period.

Nestle shares ended 1.9 per cent lower on Friday, extending losses to a second straight session. 

Broader market bleeds

Midcap and smallcap stocks continued to reel under pressure. The Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices plunged 1.6 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively. 

Overall market breadth remained extremely negative throughout the day, with the end-of-day advance-decline ratio at 2:5 as 1,126 stocks rose while 2,886 fell on BSE. 

India-UK trade pact 

The signing of the free-trade pact between India and the UK took place during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to London.

The agreement is set to lower tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars, allowing more market access for businesses.

Global markets

European shares began the day on a weaker note, with the pan-continental Stoxx 600 trading 0.4 per cent lower in early hours. 

Dow futures were up 0.2 per cent, suggesting a positive start ahead on Wall Street.