The BSE Sensex fell 439 points, or 0.5%, to 83,137, hitting its lowest level since October 15 in early deals on Monday, amid persistent profit-taking due to ongoing US-India trade agreement uncertainty. The broader index declined for the sixth consecutive session, with ongoing foreign outflows further pressuring market sentiment, along with escalating geopolitical tensions. Caution was also built ahead of the release of domestic inflation data for December, with the market expecting it to accelerate to 1.5%, while remaining below the RBI’s lower tolerance threshold of 2%. However, optimism ahead of the earnings season capped the fall, with TCS and HCL Tech set to announce their December results today. Most sectors traded in the red, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, autos, technology, and banking stocks. Among the biggest laggards were L&T (-1.1%) and Power Grid (-1.1%), while Adani Ports, Bajaj Finance, and Bharti Airtel each fell 1.0%.
