Weekly market wrap: NIFTY50, SENSEX falls for 7th consecutive week; Infosys, Bharti Airtel, others drag losses

NSE data showed that the NIFTY50 index lost 0.9% or 205.90 points to close at 23,140.50 in the week ended Friday, September 25, while the BSE SENSEX index declined 0.5% or 399.22 points to end at 73,895.74 this week.

Along with the rebounding crude oil prices and US Treasuries hitting multi-year highs, the sentiment was further dented by a defensive trade play and proposals from the government, which in turn triggered a massive selloff in the market.

Equity investors continue to monitor the geopolitical sentiment and the talks between the United States and Iran, while keeping a close eye on energy prices, all of which are essential for an import-heavy country like India.

India’s near-term volatility index, Nifty India VIX, ended 6.9% higher this week as of Sept. 25, due to overall increased volatility in the market due to several key factors which resulted in changes in prices and risk sentiment.

What happened during Friday’s market?

The Indian stock market indices ended higher after their trading session on September 25, as investors focused on a short covering rally and value buying cues, one day after the benchmark indices recorded their worst single-day performance in the past six months.

The NIFTY50 index ended 0.34% higher at 23,140.50 points after Friday’s trading session, compared to 23,063.10 points at the previous equity market close, according to NSE data.

The BSE SENSEX index closed 0.43% points higher at 73,895.74 points after the trading session on Sept. 25, in comparison to 73,580.54 points at the previous market session, as per the exchange data.

After trading in the flat territory for the entire day, the SENSEX and NIFTY50 witnessed a breakout in the noon session, trading higher as investors conducted buying in sectors like private sector lenders and auto stocks.

Index heavyweights like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Larsen & Toubro and Bajaj Finance, among others, gained, in turn, propelling the indices to positive territory on Friday.

Top NIFTY50 gainers & losers this week

Stocks like Coal India, ITC, Eternal, Titan Company, and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories were among the top five weekly gainers on the benchmark NIFTY50 index as of the stock market close on Friday, September 25.

Others like Bharti Airtel, Trent, Infosys, Bajaj Finserv, and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPV) were among the top laggards this week on the National Stock Exchange.

Factors which impacted markets this week

One of the biggest factors which impacted the Indian stock market this week was the US Treasury yields rallying to a multi-year high level of 5.23% on Friday due to the elevated geopolitical risk sentiment in the market, prompting equity investors to move towards safe-haven assets.

With frequent escalations in the West Asia region and no concrete signs of a potential peace deal between the United States and Iran, crude oil prices rebounded to above $107 per barrel (bbl) after declining below $100 per bbl earlier this week in the global market.

Data showed that global benchmark Brent crude oil prices have gained over 18% in the last one-month period and have risen more than 37% in the last three months due to commodity market investors reacting to developments in West Asia.

Although no official conclusion has been drawn, media reports suggest that the US and Iranian negotiators are exploring a phase-out of the West Asia conflict, with Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz and America lifting its economic blockade.

With foreign investment outflow and oil prices maintaining pressure in the market, the domestic shift towards defensive sectors and a few latest industry-specific announcements added to the downward pressure on the indices.

This week, India’s insurance regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), proposed changes aimed at banning dark patterns, rationalising insurance distribution costs and recalibrating commission structures.

The move triggered a sharp sell-off on Thursday, as the proposed changes could have a more direct impact on insurance distribution platforms and their distribution economics.

Top sectoral movers this week

NSE data showed that major sectoral indices like Nifty IT down 2.4%, Nifty Financial Services down 1.6%, Nifty Bank down 1.4%, Nifty Capital Markets down 1.3%, and Nifty Energy down nearly 1% were among the top laggards this week.

While defensive sector indices like Nifty Realty up 3%, Nifty Consumer Durables up 1.1%, Nifty Pharma up 1.1%, Nifty FMCG up 1%, and Nifty India Defence up 0.5% were among the top gaining sectors for the week ended Friday, September 25.

Top midcap stocks this week

The benchmark Nifty Midcap 100 data showed that stocks like Patanjali Foods, Mankind Pharma, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co., Phoenix Mills, and Steel Authority of India (SAIL) were the top five gainers this week.

Others like PB Fintech, One 97 Communications, Oracle Financial Services Software (OFSS), L&T Finance, and Container Corporation of India were among the top five laggards in the midcap index in the week ended Friday, September 25, 2026.

Top smallcap stocks this week

NSE data showed that stocks like Whirlpool of India, Wockhardt, Bandhan Bank, Welspun Corp., and HBL Engineering were among the top gainers on the benchmark Nifty Smallcap 100 index as of the week ended Friday, September 25.

Others like Ather Energy, Pine Labs, Tata Chemicals, Cholamandalam Financial Holdings, and Piramal Finance were among the top laggards this week.

How much did FIIs sell on Friday?

Latest data collected from the NSE website showed that the foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have sold around ₹3,693.93 crore worth of capital market assets in a single day during the trading session on Friday.

While FIIs remained net sellers, domestic buying support added to the support, lifting the benchmark indices higher on Sept. 25. The domestic institutional investors purchased a total of ₹2,838.17 crore worth of capital market assets in a single day.

Investors tend to pull their money out of riskier bets and transition into other safe-haven assets like US government treasury bonds, the yield of which hit a 19-year high this week amid the volatile geopolitical environment in the market.

As of the week ended September 25, foreign investors have remained net sellers in the Indian stock market due to higher risk sentiment for emerging market equities, the bounce back in global crude oil prices and elevated US Treasury yields.