The BSE Sensex dropped by 163 points, or 0.2%, to reach 85,247 during Friday morning trading, extending losses from the previous session, mainly weighed down by technology, financial services, and banking stocks. Indian markets experienced a period of consolidation, with lower trading volumes amid a lack of significant global market movements due to holidays in some regions. The positive performance of Wall Street on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and the Dow reaching record highs, helped mitigate some of the losses. Traders were eagerly anticipating the release of industrial and manufacturing production data for November to gain insight into the Indian economic outlook for the upcoming year. Some of the early losers in the session included Bajaj Finance (-1.1%), Sun Pharmaceuticals (-1.0%), Tata Steel (-0.7%), TCS (-0.5%), and JSW Steel (-0.4%). Despite the current decline, the index remains on track for a 0.3% increase for the week, which would mark the first weekly gain in three weeks.
