Indian equity markets slipped to the day’s low in early afternoon trade on January 12, with selling pressure visible across the board and volatility rising sharply.
📉 Market snapshot
- Sensex, Nifty: Trading near intraday lows
- India VIX: Up around 6%, signaling a rise in market uncertainty and fear
- Market breadth: Weak, with most stocks declining
🔻 Sectoral performance
All sectoral indices are in the red:
- Media & Realty: Down over 2% each (worst hit)
- Oil & Gas, Pharma, Auto, Healthcare, Power, Telecom: Lower by 1–2%
- Broader markets:
- BSE Midcap: Down 1.5–2%
- BSE Smallcap: Down 1.5–2%
The sell-off in mid and small-cap stocks indicates risk-off sentiment, with investors cutting exposure to higher-risk segments.
🔄 Stocks in focus (most active on NSE)
- Hindustan Copper
- BSE Limited
- ICICI Bank
- HDFC Bank
High trading activity in these names suggests institutional churn amid rising volatility.
🧠 What’s driving the fall?
- Continued global uncertainty and weak cues
- Heightened volatility as reflected by the spike in India VIX
- Ongoing profit booking after recent market weakness
- Cautious positioning ahead of key earnings and macro triggers
🔍 Market view
With all sectors in the red and volatility rising, traders are likely to remain cautious in the near term. Analysts suggest closely watching key support levels on the Nifty, as any further breakdown could intensify selling pressure.
Bottom line: Markets are firmly in risk-off mode, with broad-based selling and rising volatility. Stability will depend on whether benchmark indices can hold crucial support zones in the coming sessions.
