Indian stocks closed lower for a second straight trading session on Oct. 21 as 34 Nifty 50 constituents lost ground, despite gains among major technology shares.
The Nifty 50, a 50-stock index of companies on the National Stock Exchange of India, finished at 22,811.35, down 77.60 points, or 0.34%. The Sensex, which tracks 30 BSE-listed companies, fell 143.21 points, or 0.19%, to 73,709.69.
Technology shares moved in the other direction. The Nifty IT index rose 2.88% to 32,422.50. Infosys shares closed at ₹1,168 after a 3.30% gain; HCL Technologies finished at ₹1,424.20, up 3.21%; and Tech Mahindra reached ₹1,834.70, up 3.13%.
Bajaj Finance had the Nifty 50’s largest decline, falling 3.27% to ₹926. BSE Ltd. lost 2.63% to ₹3,248.30, and Eternal declined 2.45% to ₹312.35. Across the index, 16 stocks rose and 34 fell.
Indian equity markets were closed Oct. 20 for Dussehra, making Oct. 21 the next trading session.
Financial Express cited elevated crude prices and foreign investor selling as pressures on market sentiment. The Economic Times linked weakness in banking shares to private-sector lenders’ results earlier in the week.
Infosys said Oct. 19 it would help Truist Financial Corporation expand its existing Global Capability Center in Hyderabad. Infosys said Truist aims to consolidate work handled by multiple suppliers and reduce its dependence on third parties.
Infosys is scheduled to report results for the quarter ended Sept. 30 on Friday, Oct. 23.
