Sensex Inches Up, Nifty Slips at Open; Cipla, L&T Shine Amid Mixed Market Start

New Delhi: India’s benchmark equity indices, the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50, showed a mixed start at the opening bell on Thursday, following a backdrop of mixed global cues. The BSE Sensex inched up by 9 points, or 0.01 percent, to trade at 79,951.22. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 opened slightly lower, slipping 29 points, or 0.12 percent, to 24,311.Analysts predict some volatility in the markets due to today’s Nifty options’ monthly expiry, which typically adds to market fluctuations.In the previous session on Wednesday, both indices snapped a two-day winning streak. The BSE Sensex lost 426.85 points, or 0.53 percent, closing at 79,942.18, while the Nifty 50 declined 125.99 points, or 0.51 percent, to end at 24,340.85.The performance in broader markets was mixed, with small-cap stocks faring better than their mid-cap counterparts. The Nifty Smallcap 100 index rose by 1.05 percent, while the Nifty Midcap 100 index ended 0.16 percent lower. Sector-wise, most indices traded in the red on Wednesday, except for a few like FMCG, Media, Metal, and Auto. The Nifty Media index surged by 2.34 percent, and the FMCG index rose 0.92 percent.On the economic front, data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry revealed a recovery in the output of eight key infrastructure sectors, known as the core sector. Growth rebounded to 2 percent year-on-year in September after a contraction in the previous month. However, this growth was notably slower than the 9.5 percent recorded in September 2023.