The BSE Sensex fell 367 points, or 0.4%, to end at 85,041.45, while the NSE Nifty 50 declined 0.4% to 26,042.3, slipping below the 26,050 mark.
On the 30-stock Sensex, shares of Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Eternal, Sun Pharma and Tech Mahindra were among the biggest drags, each falling between 1% and 1.5%.
Friday’s decline pared weekly gains for the benchmark indices. The Nifty 50 rose 0.3% for the week, while the Sensex added 0.1%, snapping a three-week losing streak.
Beyond the blue chips, performance was mixed, small-cap stocks advanced 1.8% over the week, while mid-cap shares ended little changed.
Expert views
Domestic equities ended lower today as thin year‑end trading volumes and a cautious mood ahead of upcoming earnings prompted broad-based profit booking, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, adding that the optimism around the Santa Claus rally has diminished amid the absence of fresh catalysts, such as progress on a possible U.S.‑India trade agreement, while continued FII outflows weighed on the Indian rupee.
“Large‑cap stocks underperformed mid- and small-cap counterparts, though selective strength persisted in metals and consumer durable stocks, while IT, autos, and banks, witnessed sustained selling pressure,” said Nair.