After opening the day on a negative note, Indian share markets displayed volatility as the session progressed but ended lower.

Equity benchmark indices ended lower weighed by losses in banking and financial stocks as investors assessed the impact of the central bank's tighter rules for personal loans on lenders.

At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex stood down by 140 points (down 0.2%).

Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty closed lower by 38 points (down 0.2%).

Coal India and Wipro were among the top gainers today.

M&M and Adani Enterprises, on the other hand, were among the top losers today.

The GIFT Nifty was trading at 19,748, down by 71 points, at the time of writing.

Broader markets ended on a positive note. The BSE MidCap index ended flat and the BSE SmallCap index ended 0.4% higher.

Sectoral indices ended mixed with stocks in the IT sector and telecom sector witnessing buying. Meanwhile, stocks in the auto sector and FMCG sector witnessed selling pressure.

Shares of Coforge, JK Cement, and CAMS hit their respective 52-week highs today.

Now track the biggest movers of the stock market using the stocks to watch today section. This should help you keep updated with the latest developments...

Asian share markets ended in positive territory. The Shanghai Composite ended 0.4% higher, while the Nikkei index ended 0.6% higher. Meanwhile, Hang Seng ended 1.8% higher.

The rupee is trading at 83.34 against the US$.

Gold prices for the latest contract on MCX are trading 0.1% lower at Rs 60,662 per 10 grams.

Meanwhile, silver prices are trading 0.5% lower at Rs 72,785 per 1 kg.
 

NMDC's Tailored Product Investments

In news from the mining sector, India's largest iron ore producer National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), shifts its focus to different classes of customers and tweaks its offerings based on their needs.

The Navratna PSU has signed up McKinsey & Company and Deloitte to study the market and customer requirements for the next five years and come up with a marketing policy over the next few months.

The company has enlisted the services of consultants, and within the next three to six months, there will be a clear understanding of the necessary investments to develop customized products tailored for distinct customer segments, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach.

The 65-year-old company, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel, has been involved in the exploration of a wide range of minerals, including copper, rock phosphate, limestone, magnesite, diamond, tungsten, and beach sands.

Going forward, the company plans to increase the production capacity of its three mining facilities from 46 MTPA to 67 MTPA to meet the increasing demand of the nation's steel industry by 2025.

NMDC stands tall among the top five Indian companies poised to benefit from the rare mineral race. 
 

Nifty Pharma's Record Surge

Moving on to news from the pharma sector, the Nifty Pharma index scaled a new all-time high, trading in the green in 14 out of 17 sessions, backed by strong earnings for the September quarter.

Since 26 October till date, the index has risen nearly 9% while the benchmark Sensex and Nifty gained 4.5% each.

In the second quarter of FY24, the pharma stocks saw strong revenue growth of 14.3% over the last year and 1.7% over the previous quarter.

This was due to increased sales volume, new product launches like gRevlimid, gSpiriva, gPrezista, and more stable pricing in the US market. Profit margins improved by 2.1% year-over-year and 0.5% quarter-over-quarter, benefiting from reduced cost inflation and steadier prices.

The US market experienced robust sales of new products and heightened demand for reliable suppliers amid drug shortages. Price erosion in the US is stabilizing, partly due to ongoing drug shortages.

This can be attributed to the improved performance of branded generic exporters in regulated markets, notably the US, boosting stocks like Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy's Lab, Lupin, and Zydus.

During market volatility, the defensive nature of the healthcare sector tends to draw buying interest. Additionally, certain pharma stocks offer more favorable valuations.
 

Why Blue Dart Share Price is Falling

Moving on to news from the courier services sector, shares of Blue Dart slipped into the red after gaining over 1% intraday on 20 November. The logistics company has partnered with India Post to offer customers digital parcel lockers at select post offices.

Recipients can retrieve Blue Dart shipments from digital parcel lockers by using an assigned code to open the locker at various post offices. The deliveries can be collected at any time, and only authorized personnel can access the packages.

Blue Dart has teamed up with Podrones, a last-mile technology and parcel locker company, to power this initiative.

Promoter DHL Express (Singapore) maintained a consistent holding of 75%, while FIIs and DIIs held 4.7% and 11.8% as of the September quarter.

It's South Asia's leading courier and integrated air express package distribution company.

Blue Dart offers domestic priority day-definite and time-definite services for critical shipments such as passports, certificates, and other important documents.

Blue Dart stands among midcap stocks with consistently rising profit margins.

More By This Author:

Sensex Today Trades Lower; RBL Bank Tanks 7%
Sensex Today Ends 188 Points Lower; ONGC, BPCL Top Losers
Sensex Today Trades Flat; PCBL Surges 7%