Market close, October 23: Key numbers

Sensex: 73,123.83, down 125.56 points (0.17%).

Nifty 50: 22,600, down 87.65 points (0.39%).

Midcap 100: down 2.21%; Smallcap 100: down 2.94%.

Brent crude: about 114.29 dollars a barrel.

Gold: Rs 1,42,734 per 10 grams, down 0.40%.

The Nifty Metal index fell 2.71% and the Nifty Realty index fell 2.38%, according to the same report.

ANI’s headline says all sectors closed in the red.

Business Standard’s headline says the volatility index, or VIX, rose 6%.

Brent crude December futures were at 114.29 dollars a barrel and WTI at 101.03 dollars around 3:37 pm, according to Kotak Neo.

Prices kept rising after a 4% jump in the previous session and reached a five-month high, according to the same report.

Kotak Neo links the rise to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the related supply concerns.

MCX gold December futures were at Rs 1,42,734 per 10 grams, down 0.40%, and silver December futures were at Rs 1,95,600 per kilogram, down 2%, according to Kotak Neo.

The report attributes the decline to rising crude prices and global uncertainty.

Foreign investor selling and Middle East tensions were also cited by the reports.

HPCL refinanced about Rs 50,000 crore of debt for its Rajasthan refinery, cutting borrowing costs by nearly 105 basis points, according to Kotak Neo.

The Jio Platforms IPO drew more than one crore applications, according to the same report.

On Thursday, October 22, the Sensex had closed at 73,249.39, down about 460 points, according to Business Standard.

On Wednesday, October 21, the Sensex had closed at 73,709.69, according to Free Press Journal.

The Kotak Neo article expects choppy trading, with crude prices and Middle East tensions keeping investors cautious, and says buying by domestic and foreign institutions could offer some support.

The reports reviewed did not give market breadth, institutional flow amounts or the rupee’s level.

BSE building, Mumbai (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0