Stock Market Highlights: Sensex Recovers Early Losses, Ends Flat; Nifty Holds Above 26,000 as Media, FMCG Gain

Indian equity markets experienced a day full of ups and downs yet were mostly stable on Monday, December 15, 2025. The main indices were able to recoup most of their early losses and finally ended nearly flat. Global weakness and the outflow of foreign funds continued to limit the upside, whereas select media and FMCG stocks witnessed some buying and thereby supported the market.

The BSE Sensex was at 85,213.36 at the end of the day, with a decline of 54.30 points (0.06%) and the NSE Nifty50 at 26,027.30 with a drop of 19.65 points (0.08%). Despite the day’s ups and downs, Nifty managed to maintain its position above the important 26,000 mark, which is a sign of strength in the underlying support.

In terms of sectors, the performance was as follows: Media, FMCG sparkling; Auto sloping down

On sector performance, Nifty Media was the leading one, with a gain of 1.79%, and Nifty FMCG was following with an increase of 0.69% due to consumers’ purchasing stocks. In contrast, Nifty Auto was the biggest decliner, with a drop of 0.91%, and Nifty Pharma lost 0.4% due to profit booking.

Winners and losers

HUL, Trent, HCL Technologies, Infosys, and Asian Paints among the heavyweights closed high on the Sensex. On the contrary, M&M, Maruti Suzuki, Adani Ports, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Titan, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, Power Grid, and NTPC were also the stocks that pulled down the index.

Mixed performance in broader markets

Performance of the broader markets remained mixed. The Nifty MidCap index lost 0.12%, while the Nifty SmallCap index gained 0.21%, indicating reluctance among investors to buy larger stocks, as the overall sentiment was still cautious.

Expert view: Consolidation continues

Market analysts were unanimous that investors chose to consolidate after last week’s upswing. The selling by foreign portfolio investors (FPI) continued to be a burden on the market with an approximate ₹18,000 crore pulled out in December alone. Nevertheless, constant inflows from domestic mutual funds and pension funds played a major role in limiting the downside.

Analysts further noted the positive impact on insurance and bank shares after the Cabinet cleared the way for 100% FDI in the insurance sector. This is seen as a step that would draw long-term foreign investment and bolster the sector.

Technically, the Nifty has good support at around 25,900. However, it would require a strong breakout above 26,050-26,100 to refresh momentum and allow higher levels of around 26,300-26,350 to be in sight.

Key takeaway

In brief, the market is still in a wait-and-see position, weighing global uncertainties, currency volatility, and the expectation of a second-half FY26 earnings recovery against each other. Going forward, experts think that the market direction will be earnings-driven although the valuations will also play a role, as global inflation data, interest rate signals, and domestic growth indicators will be watched closely by the investors.