Stock Market Live: Market halts 6-session gaining streak; Sensex falls 694 pts, Nifty ends at 24,870

Caution ahead of U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole address, coupled with renewed worries over global trade and geopolitical tensions, weighed on equities as investors pared risk exposure. Domestic profit-booking after the recent rally and a pause in fresh FPI inflows added to the weakness.

With global markets closely tracking central bank signals, analysts warn that any unexpected commentary or macro data could spark heightened volatility in the near term, said Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued to be net cash sellers in India, offloading equities worth ₹24,128.5 crore as of August 2025 (month-to-date), said Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities.

Across key emerging markets, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) activity in August 2025 has been mixed. India, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam saw outflows of US$1,715 mn, US$59 mn, US$522 mn, US$542 mn, US$677 mn, US$149 mn, and US$1,084 mn, respectively. Conversely, Indonesia and the Philippines bucked the trend, recording inflows of US$515 mn and US$6 mn, respectively, he said.

One of the key reasons for today’s market decline was caution ahead of U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole symposium, which is expected to provide critical insights into the global liquidity outlook and future interest rate trajectory, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments.

Additionally, the U.S. using trade tariffs on India as a strategic tool in its stance against Russia has raised near-term concerns among institutional investors. However, strong domestic indicators continue to offer support: the PMI has touched a record high, and the recently proposed indirect tax reliefs are expected to boost consumption, underscoring India’s economic resilience, he said.

The market saw broad-based selling, with 23 out of 30 Sensex constituents ending in negative terrain. The top losers on the Sensex pack were Asian Paints (-2.45%), UltraTech Cement (-1.94%), Tata Steel (-1.92%), HCL Tech (-1.68%), and Kotak Mahindra Bank (-1.68%). Other major losers included Adani Ports (-1.54%), TCS (-1.53%), and HDFC Bank (-1.22%).

On the other hand, M&M (+0.79%), Maruti (+0.65%), BEL (+0.32%), Bharti Airtel (+0.20%), and Titan (+0.10%) were among notable gainers.

Shares of Lokesh Machines hit the 10% upper circuit after the company received a registration certificate from the Director General of Quality Assurance (DGQA), enabling it to manufacture defence items. The company, which is engaged in producing special purpose machines, small arms, and cylinder heads for vehicles, is expected to benefit from this move as it expands its presence in the defence manufacturing space.

The share price of Mazagon Dock has slipped by almost 2% today. In a recent note brokerage house JPMorgan pointed out that the state-run company could have more potential downside risks.

Edelweiss Financial Services has announced that WestBridge Capital will acquire a 15% stake in Edelweiss Asset Management, the asset manager of Edelweiss Mutual Fund (Edelweiss MF), for ₹450 crore.

"Edelweiss MF has scaled rapidly through focused execution - consistent fund performance, product innovation, and widening distribution strength. We are delighted to partner with WestBridge Capital - a likeminded and long-term partner - whose strategic insights and ecosystem will accelerate our next phase of growth," said Radhika Gupta , MD & CEO, Edelweiss MF, in a statement.

The top 5 gainers of Nifty 50, on the NSE at around 1 PM, are Bharat Electronics Ltd. , Mahindra & Mahindra , Maruti Suzuki , Sun Pharma , and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.

Of these, 3 stocks are seeing more than 0.5% intraday gains.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail shares rise by more than 7%, bringing its price to ₹81.05 due to festive season demand as well as retail expansion. The stock is trading 80% lower than its 52-week high of ₹365.

Zee Entertainment share prices rise to ₹124, a steep 5.77% rise, as the company has decided to issue an upcoming dividend of ₹2.43 per share due on 29 August 2025.

Meanwhile, investors stayed optimistic despite Aditya Birla Finance’s Delhi HC challenge to the recent arbitral award.

The benchmark indices continue to slide down, with the Nifty 50 slipping by 169.80 points (0.68%) to 24,913.95, and the Sensex 30 by 553.29 (0.67%), bringing to 81,447.42.