Markets at close today: Indian stock markets ended the day with sharp losses as selling pressure continued throughout the session. The Sensex fell 1,097 points or 1.37% to close at 78,918.90, while the Nifty 50 dropped 315 points or 1.27% to settle at 24,450.45.
Weak sentiment across the market and heavy selling in key sectors, especially banking and financial stocks, dragged the indices lower. Most sectoral indices also ended in the red.
“Indian equity markets extended their decline following the prior session’s relief rally, as escalating U.S.–Iran tensions disrupted key Middle Eastern oil and gas supplies, driving crude prices higher. A sustained rise in oil prices could weigh on investor sentiment and adversely affect India’s twin deficits, inflation trajectory, and the RBI’s monetary stance. An uptick in U.S. 10‑year bond yield and a stronger dollar have prompted FIIs to adopt a risk‑off approach toward domestic equities. While geopolitical tensions remain a near‑term overhang, selective value‑buying opportunities are expected to emerge, offering long‑term investors attractive entry points,” saidVinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments.
Earlier on Thursday, the NSE Nifty 50 closed the session 285 points or 1.17% higher at 24,766, while the BSE Sensex surged 899 points or 1.14% to close at 80,015.
Key global and domestic cues to know on March 06, 2025
Conflict escalates across West Asia
Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that it intercepted three ballistic missiles launched toward an air base, as Iran continues to press attacks across the Gulf.
“Three ballistic missiles launched towards Prince Sultan Air Base were intercepted and destroyed,” the Saudi defence ministry posted on X. Also, Bahrain stated early Friday that Iran targeted two hotels and a residential building in the capital, Manama.
Crude oil
The crude oil prices traded on a lower note on Friday morning, but were significantly higher than the previous month. WTI crude prices were trading at $78.81, rising 2.71%, while Brent crude prices were trading at $83.75, a fall of 1.94%, but surged past $80 mark. On COMEX, crude prices dropped 2.15% to $79.27 a barrel.
Asian Markets
The Asian indices on Friday morning opened on a lower note, tracking the fall overnight on Wall Street. South Korea’s Kospi tumbled once again, falling 0.87%. The small-cap Kosdaq, however, extended gains to rise 2.45%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was 0.24% down, while the Topix saw a larger loss of 0.42%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were at 25,037, lower than the HSI’s last close of 25,321.34.
US markets
The US equity markets closed on a lower note as crude oil prices shot up once again. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 784.67 points, or 1.61%, to 47,954.74. The S&P 500 fell 0.56% to 6,830.71, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.26% to 22,748.99.
Gold rate today
The rate for 24-carat gold today is Rs 1,60,190 per 10 grams. The price of gold has risen by almost 1% from yesterday. The 24 kt gold rate today in Delhi is Rs 1,59,910 per 10 grams. The 18-carat gold price today in India is Rs 1,20,142.5. The 24-carat gold rate in Dubai today is Rs 1,49,590. On COMEX, the precious metal was trading at a price of Rs 5,095 an ounce, rising 0.32%.
Silver rate today
In India, the silver rate declined 1.37% at Rs 2.62 lakh per kilogram. On COMEX, Silver prices surged 1.17% on Friday to trade at $83.14 per troy ounce. Silver had surged to record highs in January as well amid geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and concerns over the Federal Reserve’s independence, with heavy speculative buying—especially from China—pushing prices higher.
FII, DII data
Foreign institutional investors (FII) were the net sellers of shares worth Rs 3,752.52 crore. On the other hand, the Domestic institutional investors (DII) were the net buyers of shares worth Rs 5,153.37 crore on March 05, 2025, according to the provisional data available on the NSE.
US dollar
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was down 0.05% at 99.01. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The rupee appreciated 0.61% to close at 91.60 to the dollar on March 05.
Top sectors in Thursday’s trade
The shipbuilding sector’s stocks fell the most in Thursday’s trade, rising 6.42% in the market capitalisation. Further, agriculture stocks were followed by the infrastructure sector stocks, which were further followed by the beverages stocks. However, the Ethanol sector stocks fell the most, declining 1.16%.