The Indian stock market had a flat closing today on October 28, 2025, with benchmark indices ending the day in red as there was positive sentiment with caution regarding global economic signals and robust domestic corporate numbers. The BSE Sensex lost around 150 points to close at around 84,620, while the NSE Nifty 50 lost minimal 29 points to close at 25,936. Sentiment were confused between negative factors and optimistic progress on deals between major world economies and decent quarterly performance by major Indian firms, which traded with the negativity around inflation and interest rate prospects overseas.
Key Movers: Top Gainers and Losers
Among the biggest gainers, SBI Life Insurance jumped over 5%, boosted by strong Q2 performance and favourable growth prospects. Bharti Airtel also added almost 4%, driven by hopes of 5G rollout and subscriber growth. Grasim Industries and Tata Steel were some of the other big gainers, rising on better operational numbers and robust order bookings.
On the other hand, Kotak Mahindra Bank fell by nearly 2% following margin pressures on bank stocks. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Britannia Industries lost traction due to sector-specific issues and defensive investor demand for pharma and FMCG stocks. Adani Ports also saw tepid profit booking after previous gains.
Sectoral Performance
Metal and PSU banking spaces performed better today, with Tata Steel and SBI at the forefront, indicating heavy institutional purchasing. The energy space suffered short-term pressures, driven by crude price uncertainty on the global front, and thus declined weakly. IT and FMCG spaces had mixed performances: Infosys fell on mixed guidance, while HUL stood firm.
Realty and infra names experienced consistent buying interest, led by policy statements favouring urban growth. The cable space continued its rally, outperforming wider markets by almost 7% on the back of robust order book improvements from top players.
Mid Cap and Small Cap Stocks Performance
Mid and small cap indices remained steady with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.75% and Nifty Smallcap 100 rising 0.5% due to sector-specific momentum. Major midcap gainers were Coforge, PNB Housing Finance, and Indian Energy Exchange. Smallcap stocks from the industrials and FMCG sector witnessed selective buying based on positive earnings momentum and attractive valuations.
Expert Insights
Equity strategists see the present market upsurge as being propelled by consistent corporate earnings growth and better risk sentiment worldwide despite macroeconomic risks. Sudeep Shah, Head of Technical Research at SBI Securities, says, “markets have shown resilience and the Nifty holding above 26,000 is a good technical breakout, indicating more upside potential.”
Analysts recommend guarded optimism, suggesting that although domestic demand drivers are robust, outside influences like geopolitical tensions and inflation control efforts can inject volatility. They suggest investors emphasise quality mid and large-cap stocks with good fundamentals, along with selective sector plays in banking, metals, and real estate for well-balanced risk exposure.
Nutshell
Indian markets closed on a negative note today on October 28, 2025, with widespread sectoral action and wek performances by small and mid caps. Top performers in the banking, insurance, metal, and telecom space powered the rally, but profit-taking in specific FMCG and pharma names restricted general gains. Experts point out sustained earnings momentum and better global cues as major supports, although call for caution in the face of external uncertainty for investors looking to invest through the medium term.
