Asian stocks took a breather after a seven-session rally, mirroring technology-led declines on Wall Street, while gold and silver moved in a narrow range following a pullback from fresh all-time highs.

US stocks edged lower in muted trading on Monday as markets entered another holiday-shortened week.

Here's a table showing how US stocks performed on Monday:

Source: Equitymaster

At present, the BSE Sensex is trading 76 points lower, and the NSE Nifty is trading 20 points lower.

Adani Port, M&M, and  Bharti Airtel are among the top gainers today.

Eternal, Tata Steel, and Bajaj Finance, on the other hand, are among the top losers today.

The BSE Midcap index is trading 0.2% lower, and the BSE Smallcap index is trading 0.3% lower.

Sectoral indices are trading mixed today, with stocks in oil & gas and metal witnessing buying. Meanwhile, stocks in realty sector and the power sector witnessed selling pressure.

The rupee is trading at Rs 89.7 against the US dollar.
 

BEL Defence Order Book Strengthens

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) shares are expected to be in focus after the company announced that it has received fresh defence orders since its last update on December 12. BEL is a Navratna defence public sector company, and these new orders highlight its strong position in India's defence manufacturing sector.

According to the company's exchange filing, the latest orders cover a wide range of defence and strategic products. These include electronic systems such as radars and communication equipment, defence services like tank overhauls and upgrades, advanced systems such as fire control systems and simulators, specialized equipment including antenna stabilization systems, and support services such as security software, components, spares, and other related services.

Earlier, on 12 December 2025, BEL had informed stock exchanges about receiving another set of defence orders. Those contracts included indigenous systems such as counter-drone solutions, software-defined radios, anti-drone systems, communication equipment, medical electronics, gun and weapon control systems, avionics, masts, and security software, along with related support services.
 

NTPC Strengthens India's Renewable Energy Push

NTPC has added nearly 14 MW of solar power to its project in Khavda, Gujarat. Even though this may seem like a small addition, it helped the company cross an important milestone.

Before this, NTPC's total installed capacity was 7,996.30 MW. After adding this solar power, the group's total capacity has now increased to 8,010.28 MW.

The new capacity comes from the Khavda-I Solar PV Project, a large solar park being developed in the Kutch region of Gujarat. This update further strengthens NTPC's position as a key player in India's clean and renewable energy push.
 

RVNL Secures New Railway Project

State-owned Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) announced on Monday, December 29, that it has become the lowest bidder (L1) for a project from East Coast Railway. The project involves building a wagon overhaul workshop at Kantabanji with a capacity to service 200 wagons.

The total project cost is Rs 20.12 bn. RVNL is the sole bidder, and the project is expected to be completed in 18 months.

Earlier in December, RVNL received a letter of acceptance from Southern Railway for a traction power project worth Rs 14.54 bn. This project includes designing, supplying, erecting, testing, and commissioning traction substations, power quality equipment, switching posts, a 2x25 kV feeding system, and SCADA with automatic fault locator systems in the Jolarpettai-Salem section.

Both projects support Indian Railways' Mission 3000 MT freight-loading goal. The work will be completed over 540 days and is part of RVNL's regular operations.

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