The market remained indecisive on Friday, with the Nifty hovering around the 25,800 mark, oscillating between gains and losses. At one point, the Nifty slipped 54.05 points, while the Sensex fell 89.10 points to trade near 84,400. Metals held steady, FMCG stocks weighed on indices, and defence and shipping shares showed strength.
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) dropped over 3% after Q2 FY26 results highlighted the impact of GST rate changes, affecting nearly 40% of its portfolio and forcing adjustments across 1,000+ SKUs. Home care volumes grew modestly, but beauty, personal care, and ice-cream segments underperformed. Jefferies lowered FY26–FY27 earnings estimates by 3% but retained a ‘Buy’ rating with a Rs 3,050 target. Colgate-Palmolive fell 3.8% to Rs 2,200 following a decline in Q2 profits, with flat volumes disappointing investors.
Defence stocks gained: Bharat Dynamics rose over 2%, Bharat Electronics and Hindustan Aeronautics added nearly 1%, and Swan Defence hit a 5% upper circuit. Metal stocks remained strong, with NALCO up 5.3%, Hindalco reaching Rs 826, and Vedanta climbing 3.7%. Shipping Corp. of India advanced over 2%, benefiting from restructuring and rising freight activity. Thyrocare gained 1.75% after promoter Docon sold 53.33 lakh shares, reducing its stake to 60.93% while retaining promoter status.
