Although the benchmark indices opened lower, they traded negatively throughout the session and ultimately closed red.

Indian equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty50, settled lower on Wednesday for the third consecutive session amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex  closed lower by 271 points (down 0.3%).

Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty closed 75 points lower (down 0.3%).

Eternal, Adani Ports, and Tata Steel are among the top gainers today.

Trent, ICICI Bank, Bharat Elec, on the other hand, were among the top losers today.

The GIFT Nifty was trading at  25,175, lower by 79 points at the time of writing.

The BSE MidCap index ended 1% lower, and the BSE SmallCap index ended 0.8% lower.

Sectoral indices are trading mixed today, with stocks in the banking sector and realty sector witnessing selling pressure. Meanwhile, stocks in the metal sector and the energy sector witnessed buying.

The rupee is trading at Rs 90 against the US$.

Gold prices for the latest contract on MCX are trading 4% higher at Rs 157,598 per gram.

Meanwhile, silver prices were trading 3% higher at Rs 333,998 per 1 kg.
 

PTC India Financial Services Q3 Results

In the news from the finance sector, shares of PTC India Financial Services came into focus after the company reported its Q3 FY26 results.

PTC India Financial Services saw its total revenue from operations fall nearly 21% year-on-year to Rs 1.25 billion (bn) in Q3 FY26, down from Rs 1.58 bn in the same quarter last year. Quarterly net profit stood at Rs 0.49 bn, down 6.6% from Rs 0.53 bn in Q3 FY25.

Despite the drop in revenue and profit, the company showed strong growth in lending. Q3 FY26 disbursements rose to Rs 6.09 bn from Rs 3.00 bn a year ago, while loan sanctions jumped to Rs 11.88 bn compared to Rs 2.25 bn in Q3 FY25.

Return on Net Worth (annualized) came in at 6.78% versus 10.09% last year, and Return on Assets (annualized) fell to 3.73% from 4.51%. Yield on the earning portfolio was 10.57%, slightly lower than 11.42% in Q3 FY25.

On the asset quality front, gross Stage III (non-performing) assets improved significantly to Rs 1.93 bn, down from Rs 7.50 bn a year ago. The provision coverage ratio for Stage III assets also strengthened to 76% from 63%, reflecting better risk management.
 

Shoppers Stop Q3 Results

Shoppers Stop's share price dropped to nearly a four-year low after the company reported a sharp fall in net profit for Q3 FY26.

The consolidated net profit fell 74% year-on-year to Rs 0.13 bn, down from Rs 0.49 bn in the same quarter last year.

Revenue showed very little growth, rising just 1% to Rs 13.20 bn from Rs 13.11 bn in Q3 FY25. Meanwhile, total expenses increased 4% year-on-year to Rs 13.13 bn, up from Rs 12.66 bn in the previous year.

The company said demand remained soft during the quarter, with only occasional spikes, unlike the steadier growth seen in the first two quarters of the year.
 

Highway Infrastructure Shares Rise After NHAI Win

Highway Infrastructure shares are likely to stay in focus after the company won a Rs 0.65 bn contract from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

According to an exchange filing, the company has been appointed as the user-fee collection agency at the Mundka Toll Plaza on the important Urban Extension Road-11 (UER-11) corridor connecting Delhi and Haryana.

The project, worth Rs 0.65 bn, involves collecting user fees at the toll plaza and maintaining associated facilities such as toilet blocks and other consumables.

The contract is set for a three-month execution period from the start date.

Last week, the company also received a Rs 0.70 bn Letter of Award from the Indore Development Authority (IDA) for a major road development project, with a planned execution period of 2.5 years.

More By This Author: