Stock Market Today: 108 Stocks Hit 52-Week Highs, 37 at Lows as Sensex, Nifty 50 End Lower

Benchmark Indices End in Red Despite Surge in Select Stocks

In a mixed trading session on June 3, 2025, the Indian equity market closed in negative territory, with both the Sensex and Nifty 50 retreating from recent highs. Despite the broader indices falling, a notable 108 stocks touched their 52-week highs, while 37 stocks slipped to their 52-week lows, signaling divergent sentiment across sectors.

The BSE Sensex ended the day at 74,938.52, down 278.76 points or 0.37%, while the Nifty 50 closed at 22,764.35, shedding 88.65 points or 0.39%.

Broader Market Movement: Bulls and Bears in Tug of War

While benchmark indices failed to hold early gains due to profit booking in heavyweights, midcap and smallcap stocks outperformed. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices rose 0.5% and 0.9%, respectively, reflecting continued investor interest in broader markets.

A total of 108 stocks hit fresh 52-week highs on the NSE today, including names such as Bharat Dynamics, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, and Indian Hotels. Conversely, 37 stocks, including Suzlon Energy, Vodafone Idea, and Jaiprakash Power Ventures, touched their 52-week lows, largely due to sectoral weakness or fundamental challenges.

Sectoral Performance: PSU, Realty, and FMCG Gain; IT and Financials Drag

The session saw PSU stocks continuing their upward momentum, with the Nifty PSU Bank index gaining over 1.2%. Realty and FMCG indices also traded in green, buoyed by demand recovery optimism.

On the flip side, IT and banking stocks dragged the market lower. Heavyweights like Infosys, TCS, and ICICI Bank faced selling pressure. The Nifty IT index declined by 1.1%, amid global cues and concerns over earnings growth.

“Today’s market reaction was a blend of profit-taking and cautious optimism ahead of central bank meetings and key macroeconomic data. The divergence between frontline indices and broader markets suggests a rotation of capital into relatively undervalued or growth sectors,” said Devang Mehta, Head of Equity Advisory at Centrum Wealth.

Global Market Influence and Macro Cues

Global markets traded cautiously, with U.S. and European indices hovering near flatlines amid expectations of rate decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve and ECB. Additionally, concerns over global inflation trends and rising bond yields weighed on investor sentiment.

Domestically, the markets are closely watching upcoming events such as the RBI monetary policy announcement, which may offer cues on interest rate direction amid sticky retail inflation and strong GDP growth data.

Top Gainers and Losers

Among the top Nifty gainers were:

• NTPC (+2.85%)

• HUL (+1.96%)

• Tata Consumer Products (+1.73%)

Major laggards included:

• Infosys (-2.47%)

• Tech Mahindra (-2.15%)

• ICICI Bank (-1.84%)

The market breadth was positive, with 1,928 stocks advancing versus 1,422 declining, while 128 stocks remained unchanged.

Analyst Commentary: What’s Driving the Divergence?

The sharp contrast between the number of stocks hitting 52-week highs and lows indicates sector-specific momentum and stock-specific narratives dominating over macro trends.

“Even though indices ended lower, the strong performance of midcaps and thematic stocks suggests selective bullish sentiment. Investors are increasingly rotating into sectors like defence, infrastructure, and consumption,” noted Aditi Shah, Technical Analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher.

Investor Outlook: Volatility Likely, But Midcaps Remain Attractive

With volatility likely to persist amid global uncertainty and domestic policy cues, analysts advise caution while continuing to explore opportunities in sectors with strong fundamentals.

“We recommend investors to remain stock-specific and consider booking partial profits in overbought stocks. The broader trend remains bullish, especially in capital goods and PSU space,” said Anuj Gupta, VP – Research at IIFL Securities.

Going forward, the focus will be on:

• RBI’s policy decision

• US job data

• FII/DII activity

• Sectoral rotation and earnings commentaryc