Where is the market headed?
The trading day started on a strong note, but the markets gave up some gains by the end. Even then, the overall trend showed that underlying strength still remains. The spotlight of the day was clearly on capital market related stocks such as BSE and Angel Broking. There was news that SEBI may soon come out with a consultation paper on longer duration contracts for options and futures. This created a fear that weekly options might be discontinued, which kept pressure on such stocks.
Adding to this, just yesterday we saw the government move very quickly against online betting. The new bill was cleared in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This is significant because some big companies, like Dream11, have built massive businesses around online gaming. Dream11 alone has annual revenues of nearly ₹67,000 crores and is a sponsor of the national cricket team. But now, suddenly, the future of such businesses looks uncertain.
Policies like this are often debated, with some agreeing that betting should be restricted, while others argue that this is more like moral policing and not in line with free-market practices.
Market Overview
Looking at the indices, after four days of continuous gains, the Nifty seemed to be taking a pause today. It closed with a small gain of 0.13%.
Nifty Next 50
Nifty Junior lost 0.28%.
Nifty Mid and Small Cap
Midcaps slipped 0.42%, while Small caps stayed flat at 0.08%.
Bank Nifty
Surprisingly, Bank Nifty, which looked weak yesterday, ended positive with a 0.1% gain.
GOLD
Gold prices moved up to ₹99,35 per gram, while the rupee lost about 25 paise against the dollar.
Advance Decline Ratio
Market breadth was balanced. The morning session was strong, but by the second half, declines started to pick up, and the day ended with an almost even outcome.
Heat Maps
In sectoral moves, pharma stocks were buzzing with Cipla, Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma, and Lupin doing well. Reliance, ICICI Bank, and Bajaj twins were also among the gainers. On the losing side were Coal India, Power Grid, Adani Ports, some FMCG names, and auto stocks, though losses were not very large.
In the Nifty Next index, TVS Motors and Swiggy were notable gainers, while Dabur fell 3.6% and Britannia slipped 1.8%.
Movers Of The Day
The biggest stock mover of the day was BSE, which fell sharply by 7.5%. This came after rumors that weekly contracts might be removed. Though SEBI clarified that the paper is only about longer equity derivatives and does not mention weekly contracts, the market still reacted negatively.
On the other hand, Nava Ltd. surged strongly, showing that even in quiet markets, some stocks continue to shine.
Sectoral Overview
Among sectors, Capital Market Stocks were the worst hit, down 2%, followed by FMCG and PSU stocks. Pharma was the only clear gainer, up 0.95%. Looking at recent trends, Autos have been the best performers in the last one week as well as over one month. In the past three months, Capital Market stocks, Autos, Consumption, and PSU Banks have done well. Over six months, Defense and Capital Market stocks stood out, while over one year, Capital Market companies have performed exceptionally.
Sector of the Day
Nifty Capital Market Index
Nifty Pharma Index
Tweets Of the Day
In tweets of the day, the main discussion revolved around online gaming bans and weekly options. The key point was that speculation will never vanish. If one legal avenue is closed, traders will look for another. It is important that regulators provide legal and regulated options, otherwise activity may shift to illegal markets and reduce tax revenue. One simple solution could be to reduce STT on intraday trades and encourage more participation in the cash market.
Another shocking tweet came from Equity Insights Elite, which shared data about startups. The chart showed how the number of new startups has fallen sharply over the years. In 2019, there were 12,000 new startups, and the number peaked at 18,000 in 2020. But in 2024, only 6,000 were launched, and in the first half of 2025, just 463 new startups have been added. At the same time, shutdowns have increased alarmingly, with 12,700 shutting down in 2024 alone.
This paints a very bleak picture for startup investors. Many have been drawn into startup and unlisted investing out of FOMO, but the risks are now becoming very clear.
