Indian stock market today witnessed sharp declines in major benchmark indices. By afternoon trading on August 8, 2025, the Sensex was quoted at 80,068, down 0.69% (556 points), while the Nifty 50 stood at 24,424, down 0.70% (171 points). The overall breadth remained weak, with 1,166 stocks advancing and 1,485 declining on the National Stock Exchange. Among Nifty 50, only 13 advanced, while 37 declined. By close, the Sensex fell further to 79,857.8—its lowest since May 9th—down nearly 1%, capping a sixth straight weekly loss. The Nifty 50 also recorded a new three-month low, underscoring broad market weakness. Investors grappled with selling pressure, especially from foreign institutional investors (FIIs), as global risk factors weighed heavily on sentiment. This sustained downward trend highlights challenges for India’s equity markets, keeping the Indian stock market today in sharp focus for traders and investors.

Sector Performance Highlights
Banking stocks led the decline today, with the Nifty Bank index down more than 350 points intraday and ending nearly 600 points lower. Major contributors to the downside included HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, and SBI. The drop was intensified by poor quarterly results and higher slippages for some banks, such as SBI.

The IT sector followed the broader selloff trend, with the Nifty IT index dipping below 1%. Elevated valuations and weak quarterly results contributed to negative momentum in IT names.

Auto stocks also saw pressure, ending the session lower by less than 1%. Notable losers included Tata Motors and M&M, reflecting subdued domestic and export demand amidst macroeconomic uncertainties.

The Pharma sector was not immune to the retreat; Nifty Pharma slipped below 1%, highlighting lackluster Q1 earnings for several key constituents. Select pharma names like Dr Reddy’s Lab managed to buck the trend, posting marginal gains.

Top 5 Gainers in Nifty 50
Titan Company +2.2%
NTPC +1.6%
Tata Consumer Products +1.3%
Dr Reddy’s Labs +1.1%
Trent +1.0%

Top 5 Losers in Nifty 50
Bharti Airtel -4.9%
Adani Enterprises -4.7%
Shriram Finance -4.2%
IndusInd Bank -4.0%
Tata Motors -3.8%

FII/DII Net Flows
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their heavy selling pressure, offloading stocks worth Rs 15,950 crore so far in August and over Rs 12,500 crore this week alone. This persistent selling reflects both risk-off sentiments and macroeconomic headwinds. By contrast, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) have stepped up buying, with net inflows of Rs 10,864 crore on Thursday, helping cushion the overall fall. Despite strong DII support, FII withdrawals remain a drag on the Indian stock market today.

Key Macro-Economic & Global Drivers
Several factors shaped today’s market performance: US-India Trade Tensions with tariff hikes effective August 27 causing uncertainty; weak Q1FY26 corporate earnings; rupee volatility near a record low at 87.78 against the US Dollar; Reserve Bank of India maintaining a hawkish monetary policy tone with possible rate hikes; high equity market valuations raising downside concerns; and broad global risks including tariff threats, bank downgrades, and dollar strength making the Indian stock market today sensitive to external shocks.

What to Watch Next
Investors should closely monitor the upcoming US tariff implementation and any retaliatory measures, RBI policy signals that could impact market sentiment, Q1 corporate results from key index heavyweights, the ongoing tug-of-war between FIIs and DIIs flows, and rupee movement which may further affect import-dependent sectors. For deeper insights, refer to nextipoindia.com for sector analysis and SEBI for regulatory updates on market trends.