Mumbai, Aug 8: Indian equity markets started the day lower on Thursday ahead of RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das' announcement on MPC decisions. At 9:43 a.m., the Sensex was down 214 points or 0.27% at 79,253, while the Nifty was lower by 75 points or 0.31% at 24,222.
Despite the early decline, overall market sentiment remains positive. On the NSE, 1,039 stocks are trading higher, compared to 956 in the red.
Leading the gains in the Sensex are Tata Motors, ITC, Titan, HUL, IndusInd Bank, HDFC Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. Meanwhile, top losers include Infosys, JSW Steel, Wipro, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, and Power Grid.
Sector-wise, IT, PSU Banks, financial services, FMCG, infrastructure, and metals are underperforming, while realty, media, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare sectors are showing strength.
Midcaps and smallcaps are outperforming largecaps, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index up marginally by 2 points at 56,876, and the Smallcap 100 index gaining 36 points or 0.20% to reach 18,420.
According to Choice Broking, Nifty could find support levels at 24,150, 24,100, and 24,000, with resistance levels at 24,300, 24,400, and 24,500. The RBI's monetary policy announcement is expected to maintain rates unchanged, with attention focused on the governor's remarks regarding global economic uncertainties.
