On the BSE, 3,888 Stocks Were Traded, With Advances at 1,875 Against 1,767 Declines and 246 Unchanged

Indian stock markets remained under pressure at mid-session on Friday, with the Nifty 50 trading at 24,545.70, down 90.30 points or 0.37 per cent as of 12.30 pm, while the Sensex was at 78,488.82, down 465.94 points or 0.59 per cent. Both indices opened gap-down and struggled to recover, with selling pressure concentrated in financial stocks even as information technology provided support. On the BSE, 3,888 stocks were traded, with advances at 1,875 against 1,767 declines and 246 unchanged.

While 115 stocks hit 52-week highs, 110 stocks were locked in lower circuits against 98 in upper circuits, reflecting a broadly cautious market tone. Bajaj Finance led the losers, falling 5.12 per cent to ₹1,086.20 on heavy volume of over 93 lakh shares worth ₹1,02,408 lakh, the most actively traded stock by value on the losers' board. Bajaj Finserv dropped 4.29 per cent to ₹1,996.60, breaching the psychologically significant ₹2,000 mark.

Trent declined 2.77 per cent to ₹3,021, Shriram Finance fell 1.97 per cent to ₹1,118.50, and ICICI Bank slipped 1.47 per cent to ₹1,436.10 on volumes of over 50 lakh shares. On the gainers' side, TCS was the top performer, rising 2.46 per cent to ₹2,431.30 on volumes of 28.78 lakh shares worth ₹69,912 lakh. Mahindra & Mahindra gained 2.03 per cent to ₹3,475, HCL Technologies added 0.95 per cent to ₹1,347.70, Infosys rose 0.70 per cent to ₹1,173.10, and IndiGo advanced 0.61 per cent to ₹5,351. Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, said the IT sector "emerged as the standout performer, advancing nearly 2 per cent and providing support to the benchmark indices despite the broader market's cautious undertone.

He noted that Nifty "opened with a gap-down near the 24,539 mark, initially slipping to an intraday low of around 24,529 before witnessing buying interest that pushed the index back towards the 24,600 level, adding that "sustained strength above 24,600 will remain crucial for further upside. On Bank Nifty, which opened near 57,882 and slipped toward the 57,800 support zone, Ponmudi said "momentum indicators remain balanced, with the RSI hovering in the mid-50s, indicating neutral momentum and limited directional strength. In currencies, the Indian rupee was trading near ₹95.2 against the US dollar, weighed down by elevated crude oil prices.

WTI crude held near $78 per barrel, with MCX Crude Oil trading near ₹7,450. Geopolitical uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz continued to keep energy markets on edge, with no definitive diplomatic breakthrough yet on Iran-related negotiations. Precious metals offered a brighter picture. COMEX Gold held above $4,300, up 0.46 per cent, on track for its strongest weekly performance since January.

MCX Gold was trading above ₹1,49,500, up 0.40 per cent, near a seven-week high. COMEX Silver rose 1.44 per cent to around $62.50, while MCX Silver gained 0.94 per cent to trade near ₹2,28,000. Ponmudi flagged that gold's rally was being driven in part by investors awaiting the U.S. non-farm payrolls report for fresh clues on the Federal Reserve's interest-rate trajectory. Globally, Fed officials remained hawkish ahead of the payrolls data, with markets pricing in higher rates for longer.

In India, the Cabinet had approved a ₹237 billion biogas push earlier in the week, and July fuel demand had hit a four-month high, both factors the market has noted as positive domestic signals even as global headwinds persist. With roughly three hours left in the session, traders are watching 24,700 on the upside and 24,400–24,500 on the downside as the levels that will determine whether the market stabilises or extends losses into the close.