New Delhi, Nov 12: Indian equity markets ended largely flat on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of India's October retail inflation data. Buying in financial and real estate stocks helped offset profit-booking in IT, FMCG and automobile shares following their recent rally.

The Nifty 50 closed at 25,299.35, gaining 44.30 points or 0.18 per cent, while the BSE Sensex ended at 81,911.01, up 31.61 points or 0.04 per cent.

In the broader market, the Nifty 100 edged up 0.02 per cent. However, mid-cap and small-cap stocks outperformed the benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.65 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 advancing more than 1 per cent, indicating stronger buying interest in smaller companies.

Among sectoral indices on the NSE, the Nifty Realty index led the gains, surging 4 per cent, followed by the Nifty Media index, which advanced 2.48 per cent. The Nifty PSU Bank index rose 1.39 per cent, while the Nifty Private Bank index gained 0.74 per cent. The Nifty Consumer Durables index also edged up 0.35 per cent.

On the losing side, the Nifty Auto index declined 1.28 per cent, while the Nifty FMCG index fell 0.87 per cent. The Nifty IT index slipped 0.51 per cent, the Nifty Pharma index lost 0.42 per cent and the Nifty Metal index declined 0.15 per cent.

Market sentiment remained influenced by global cues, including volatility in international technology stocks and rising US Treasury yields. However, softer crude oil prices and continued foreign investment inflows provided some support to domestic equities. Investors also remained watchful of inflation trends and global interest rate expectations.

Meanwhile, Brent crude oil was trading at USD 92.65 per barrel at the time of reporting.

In the precious metals market, gold prices declined by more than 1.5 per cent to Rs 1,37,565 per 10 grams for 24-karat gold. Silver prices also fell 1.83 per cent to Rs 1,81,142 per kg.

In the currency market, the Indian rupee weakened to 93.77 against the US dollar in early trade, pressured by a stronger dollar and rising US Treasury yields. However, the currency has recovered in recent weeks, returning to levels last seen in April 2026.

In other Asian markets, most major indices ended lower on Thursday. Japan's Nikkei 225 declined 0.99 per cent to 60,650, while Singapore's Straits Times index fell 0.14 per cent to 5,282. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 1.46 per cent to 23,967, and Taiwan's weighted index plunged 2.70 per cent to 43,091. South Korea's KOSPI index also declined 0.60 per cent to 5,342.

Investors are now awaiting India's October Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data, with food price movements likely to remain a key factor in determining the near-term market outlook. (with ANI inputs)