Stock Market Today: 103 Stocks Hit 52-Week Highs, 85 at Lows as Nifty 50, Sensex End in Red

Mumbai, June 23, 2025 — Indian equity benchmarks ended Monday’s session in negative territory despite sharp intra-day movements, as concerns over global monetary tightening and volatile crude prices weighed on investor sentiment. While 103 stocks managed to scale fresh 52-week highs, 85 touched 52-week lows, reflecting a highly polarized market.

Both the Nifty 50 and the Sensex snapped their recent winning streaks, dragged down by financials, FMCG, and energy stocks. However, selective mid-cap and small-cap counters attracted strong buying interest.

Benchmark Indices Retreat Amid Mixed Market Breadth

The BSE Sensex fell 253.12 points or 0.34% to settle at 74,890.45, while the NSE Nifty 50 ended 81.50 points lower at 22,747.85. Broader markets witnessed a tug-of-war, with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.42% and the Smallcap 100 edging up 0.15%.

Of the Nifty constituents, 29 stocks declined, while 21 advanced, signaling cautious positioning ahead of a data-heavy week.

"Markets are in a consolidation phase after a solid run-up. Participants are adjusting portfolios ahead of US GDP data and commentary from Federal Reserve officials," said Vinit Sambre, Head of Equities at DSP Mutual Fund.

Sector Watch: Financials, FMCG, and Energy Under Pressure

Sectorally, Nifty Bank shed 0.55% as major private banks including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank witnessed profit booking. The Nifty FMCG index declined 0.61% led by weakness in ITC, HUL, and Dabur India.

Meanwhile, the energy index also fell 0.47% due to softening crude demand and global macro concerns. Reliance Industries and ONGC were among the top losers.

On the contrary, realty, metal, and auto indices managed to close in the green, reflecting underlying domestic strength in consumption and infrastructure-led demand.

52-Week Highs and Lows: Divergence Deepens

Despite the benchmark indices ending in the red, market internals revealed an interesting divergence. As many as 103 stocks hit their 52-week highs, including names like Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, RVNL, BEML, Tata Elxsi, and APL Apollo Tubes, indicating resilience in select sectors.

Conversely, 85 stocks touched their 52-week lows, including Vodafone Idea, Dish TV, Yes Bank, and Zee Entertainment, weighed down by weak fundamentals and corporate overhangs.

“The contrasting movement in highs and lows shows that investors are becoming increasingly selective. There is rotation happening within the broader markets with preference for capital goods, defence, and infra themes,” explained Shibani Kurian, Senior VP & Head of Equity Research at Kotak Mahindra AMC.

Global Cues and FII Behavior

Globally, Asian markets traded mixed as traders remained wary of potential rate hikes in Japan and the U.S. US bond yields remained elevated, prompting caution among foreign investors.

Back home, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold equities worth ₹1,235 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued their support with net purchases of ₹980 crore, according to provisional exchange data.

“FII outflows are a concern near term, particularly in large-cap financials. However, domestic flows remain sticky, which is keeping markets afloat,” said Rahul Arora, CEO, Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities.

Technical View: Nifty Near Key Support Zone

Technical analysts believe the market may see more range-bound movement unless there is a breakout above 22,900 on the Nifty.

“Nifty is holding above 22,700 which is crucial support. If that breaks, we could see a move towards 22,500. On the upside, 22,950 remains resistance. It’s a sideways consolidation with stock-specific action dominating,” said Ruchit Jain, Lead Research Analyst at 5paisa.

The India VIX, a measure of market volatility, climbed 3.8% to 13.85, indicating rising uncertainty among traders.

Investor Outlook: Volatility Likely Ahead

With upcoming macroeconomic data, monsoon updates, and geopolitical developments in focus, markets are expected to stay choppy in the short term. However, long-term investors are advised to remain patient and stay focused on quality stocks.

"Markets are healthy as long as this churn continues. Smart money is moving into strong balance sheet companies, and long-term India growth story remains intact," said Mahesh Nandurkar, India Strategist at Jefferies.

Investors should brace for intermittent volatility and consider a staggered investment approach in sectors such as capital goods, infrastructure, defence, and auto ancillaries, which continue to attract institutional interest.