Sensex and Nifty today told a familiar story: a decent start, then a slow bleed. On Monday, October 12, 2026, the benchmarks gave up their early gains and closed lower, as selling in FMCG, IT and PSU bank stocks outweighed whatever comfort softer crude oil prices offered.
In this article
Sensex and Nifty today: how the day unfolded
The open was firm. Crude had cooled in early trade, and the rupee was clawing back ground after fresh steps from the Reserve Bank of India, so buyers came in with some confidence. It didn’t hold. Sellers turned up across the heavyweight sectors as the day wore on, and by the end the Sensex was more than 900 points off its intraday high.
At the close, the BSE Sensex was down 547.65 points (0.76%) at 71,924.68. The NSE Nifty 50 lost 157.10 points (0.70%) to 22,363.35, slipping under 22,400. That’s a quick reversal from Friday, when the Nifty rose 1.30% and snapped an eight-week run of weekly losses.
Why traders stayed cautious
- Inflation data ahead: India’s inflation numbers were due later in the day, and few wanted to take big positions before them.
- Crude still expensive: Oil did pull back, but it stayed above $105 a barrel. That’s enough to keep inflation worries alive.
- Bond yields: A sharp jump in Indian government bond yields added to the pressure.
- Foreign selling: Foreign investors kept pulling money out, and mixed global cues plus geopolitical uncertainty kept everyone guarded.
Where the selling hit hardest
FMCG took the worst of it, with the Nifty FMCG index down about 1.67%. The Nifty IT index slipped roughly 0.79%, and PSU banks fell too. Media, auto and realty names went the other way and closed higher.
In FMCG, Dabur India fell 3.47% and ITC dropped 3.29%, with Colgate-Palmolive (India) and Hindustan Unilever also lower. Tech Mahindra lost 3.10% as global telecom stocks weakened. Avenue Supermarts slid about 4.5% after its Q2 FY27 numbers.
In index-point terms, ICICI Bank, Larsen & Toubro and Bharti Airtel dragged the Nifty 50 down the most. Bajaj Auto, Bharat Electronics and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories did the most to hold it up. Further down the market, Swaraj Engines jumped 10.82% after a 21.9% rise in quarterly profit.
Rupee, bonds and the RBI
The rupee had a good day. It firmed nearly 1% to about 95.76 against the US dollar, from 96.73 on Friday, after RBI measures that included a special facility to sell dollars directly to Indian Oil, HPCL and BPCL. Our rupee vs dollar today report has more.
Bonds were a different matter. The 10-year government bond yield rose to 7.388% from 7.302%, and Brent crude for December settlement ended near $105.61 a barrel. Rate-sensitive lenders felt it, as we covered in our Bank Nifty today update.
Small caps didn’t follow the benchmarks
Here’s the interesting bit. Smaller stocks ignored the gloom. The BSE 150 MidCap index edged up 0.13% and the BSE 250 SmallCap index gained 1.08%. Breadth on the BSE was slightly positive, with 2,300 shares advancing, 2,153 declining and 292 unchanged.
What we’re watching next
The inflation print comes first. After that, the rupee, crude oil and the September-quarter earnings season should set the direction for the next few sessions.
Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Please consult a SEBI-registered advisor before making investment decisions.
Source: Capital Market; additional details from DSIJ and ET Now.
Related: Follow every daily recap, FII/DII flows and market updates on our Stock Market Today India hub, and plan trades with our risk management in trading guide.
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