Domestic frontlines Nifty 50 and Sensex extended their rout to the afternoon session on January 17, trading with sharp cuts as the optimism from the past three sessions waned. Investors rushed to take profits off the table following the three-day technical pullback, as the bearish sentiment held strong.

The trends on Gift Nifty also indicate a positive start for the Indian benchmark index. The Gift Nifty was trading around 23,405 level, a premium of nearly 140 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close.

Reliance Industries Ltd., HDFC Bank Ltd., Maruti Suzuki Ltd., Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., Larsen & Toubro added to the Nifty 50 index.

Indian equity benchmarks, BSE Sensex and Nifty50, saw a sharp decline in opening trade on Friday. BSE Sensex fell over 450 points, while Nifty50 dropped below 23,200. At 10 am, the Sensex dropped by 363.

Nifty futures closed with a 0.61% gain at 23,406 on Thursday. Options data suggests a broader trading range between 22,800 to 23,700, with an immediate range between 23,100 to 23,500. Experts recommended stocks for short-term trading,

The stock market plunged into the red on Friday, January 17, as IT, private banks, and auto stocks fell. At 9:20am, the benchmark BSE Sensex was down by 451 points or 0.59%, reaching 76,591.82. The broader NSE Nifty was down by 140.

The BSE Sensex rose 318.74 points, or 0.42%, to 77,042.82. Likewise, Nifty 50 gained 98.60 points, or 0.42%, to 23,311.80.