Sensex closes 2022 with annual gain of 4.44pc, Nifty ends up 4.32 pc

Mumbai, Dec 30 (PTI) Benchmark BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty closed on a bearish note on the last trading day of 2022 due to fag-end selling in select banking, IT and capital goods shares.

The key indices, however, posted annual gains of over 4 per cent in 2022 to emerge as the world’s best-performing large market indices.

Stock markets opened on a bullish note on the last session of the year and traded in green in the most part of the day. Gains in Asian markets also supported the local equities. Sensex rose by 258.8 points or 0.42 per cent to an intra-day high of 61,392.68 while Nifty touched a high of 18,265.25 points.

The market lost steam after weak opening in European stocks with the indices paring all gains.

The 30-share BSE Sensex closed down 293.14 points or 0.48 per cent at 60,840.74. The broader NSE Nifty declined 85.70 points or 0.47 per cent to end at 18,105.30.

The BSE barometer closed 2022 with an annual gain of 4.44 per cent or 2,586.92 points while the Nifty ended the year higher by 4.32 per cent or 751.25 points. Sensex touched its all-time high of 63,583.07 points on December 1 after hitting its 52-week low of 50,921.22 points on June 17.

Sensex jumped 10,502.49 points or 21.99 per cent last year.

“On the last day of a tumultuous year, domestic indices shed their early gains as negative signals from global peers pushed indices lower. Investors remained concerned over the economic outlook for the new year, underpinned by growing fears of recession,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.

“The ongoing volatility is expected to be sustained in the near-term because of high interest rates and a slowing economy. We believe that value buying is the theme of 2023. Fair valuation, steady earnings, and a robust demand scenario will be the cutting parameters,” Nair said.

From the Sensex pack, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, HDFC, ITC, Nestle, Larsen & Toubro, Asian Paints, Mahindra & Mahindra, Power Grid and IndusInd Bank were the major laggards on Friday.

In contrast, Bajaj Finserv, Titan, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Wipro, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries and State Bank of India were the major winners.

The broader market, however, ended in the green, with BSE smallcap gauge climbing 0.76 per cent and midcap index gaining 0.37 per cent.

Among sectoral indices, FMCG dipped 0.59 per cent, utilities declined 0.52 per cent, power (0.46 per cent), teck (0.43 per cent), financial services (0.36 per cent) and capital goods (0.28 per cent).

Commodities, consumer discretionary, energy, consumer durables, metal and realty were among the winners.

Elsewhere in Asia, equity markets in Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong ended in the green.

Equity exchanges in Europe were trading lower in mid-session deals. Markets in the US ended in positive territory on Thursday.

International oil benchmark Brent crude dipped 0.14 per cent to USD 83.34 per barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded shares worth Rs 572.78 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.