Sensex sheds 121 points, Nifty above 26,330, BEL among top gainers

Indian equity benchmarks opened mixed on Monday, January 5, 2026, following positive global cues after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.

The 30-share BSE Sensex slipped 121.96 points to 85,640.05, while the Nifty 50 inched up 5.15 points to 26,333.70. In the previous session, the Sensex closed at 85,762.01 and the Nifty at 26,328.55.

Broader markets showed early gains, with the BSE Midcap up 138.85 points (0.29%) and the BSE Smallcap rising 12.93 points (0.02%) to 51,933.06.

Sector and stock movers

Among Sensex constituents, BEL, SBI, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, and Reliance were early gainers, with BEL leading the pack, rising 0.98%. HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Trent, and TCS lagged, with HCL Tech falling 1.36%.

In the broader Nifty pack, 1,184 stocks were trading in the green, 1,387 in the red, and 115 remained unchanged.

Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities, said, “For trend-following traders, 26,250–26,100 and 85,500–85,000 would act as key support zones. As long as the market trades above these levels, bullish momentum is likely to continue. On the upside, Nifty could rise to 26,500–26,700. Below 26,100/85,000, the uptrend would become vulnerable.”

GIFT Nifty

GIFT Nifty, an early indicator for Nifty 50, suggested a positive start, opening at 26,531.50, up 63.5 points from the previous close of 26,468.

FII and DII activity

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers on January 2, acquiring equities worth ₹289.80 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) extended their buying streak with net purchases of ₹677.38 crore.

Asian markets

Asian indices traded mostly higher. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 2.70% to 51,699. South Korea’s Kospi gained 117.14 points, while Shanghai’s SSE Composite added 42.61 points (1.07%). Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped slightly, down 15.47 points.