Indian markets experienced a volatile session on Thursday, December 12, despite a strong handover from Wall Street, as investors exercised caution ahead of India’s key retail inflation data, scheduled for release later in the day.
According to a Mint poll of 16 economists, retail inflation is expected to have eased to 5.5% in November, down from 6.2% in October. Even if inflation moderated in November, it would still have exceeded the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s medium-term target of 4%, reflecting ongoing challenges in achieving sustained price stability.
IT stocks performed well in today’s session, with major heavyweights closing in the green. However, weak performances by Reliance Industries and private sector banks, including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, dragged the markets lower.
The Nifty 50 closed the session down by 0.38%, settling at 24,548 points, while the Sensex ended with a 0.29% loss at 81,291 points. Broader markets also saw declines, with the Nifty Midcap 100 finishing 0.48% lower at 59,009 points, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index recording a steeper drop of nearly 1%, closing at 19,471 points.