Sensex, Nifty end flat on weekly expiry; all eyes on U.S.-Russia talks

Indian benchmark indices ended flat with marginal gains on weekly expiry day, as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the much-anticipated U.S.-Russia talks. After a muted start, the BSE benchmark Sensex and NSE Nifty50 moved in a narrow range through the session, with gains in IT, financials, and banking counters offset by losses in metal, energy, and realty stocks.

The 30-share Sensex ended 57.75 points higher at 80,597.66, and the Nifty50 rose 11.95 points to settle at 24,631.30. The benchmarks saw some bouts of volatility owing to the weekly futures and options (F&O) expiry.

With this, the indices snapped their weekly losing streak, with the Nifty recovering over 1%, reclaiming 24,600 on a weekly basis. The market will be closed on August 15 on the eve of Independence Day.

The broader markets, however, underperformed, with both midcap and smallcap indices ending in negative territory. The Nifty Midcap 100 index fell 0.31%, while the SmallCap index lost 0.38%.

Traders seemed to have turned cautious, awaiting cues from the geopolitical meeting, which could set the tone for global risk sentiment in the coming days. The upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for August 15, 2025, in Alaska, will be closely watched by the global community as both nations navigate complex geopolitical challenges. The discussions, aimed at addressing tensions over security, trade, and international conflicts, come at a time of heightened scrutiny due to regional conflicts and economic sanctions.

"In the near term, the market is expected to trade in a tight range with a mixed bias looking forward to upcoming geopolitical meets," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments.

On the BSE Sensex pack, 14 out of 30 stocks closed in positive territory, led by Eternal (Zomato) , Infosys , Asian Paints , Titan , and HDFC Bank , which gained in the range of 0.6% to 1.9%.

On the flip side, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Adani Ports, BEL, and UltraTech Cement were among the top losers, falling between 0.8% to 3%.

On the sectoral front, there was a mixed trend, with IT, financials, and banking ending in the green, while metal, energy, and realty were among the top laggards.

Ajit Mishra, SVP – Research, Religare Broking, said the prevailing consolidation suggests that markets have largely digested recent negatives and are now awaiting a trigger for recovery. Additionally, oversold positions in heavyweights across sectors are further supporting this possibility.

Technically, for Nifty, a decisive break above 24,800 could spark fresh momentum; otherwise, consolidation may persist. Participants should maintain a stock-specific trading approach with a focus on risk management, Mishra added.

In a boost to the market, global brokerage S&P has raised India’s sovereign credit rating to ‘BBB’ with a stable outlook, after a gap of 19 years. This was attributed to the country’s resilient economic growth, government’s commitment to fiscal discipline, and a favorable monetary policy environment that keeps inflation in check.

The upcoming week is expected to be pivotal in shaping the intermediate trend following several significant developments. Given the current ambiguity surrounding the broader trend, it is recommended to adopt a stock-centric strategy while implementing effective risk management practices, said Rajesh Bhosale, Equity Technical Analyst, Angel One.

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