Stock Market Today: Sensex and Nifty Slip 0.85% Amid Global Cues; Wipro, Vedanta in Focus

Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Friday, August 22, breaking a six-day winning streak as investors booked profits and awaited key global economic signals.

• Nifty 50 fell 0.85% to close at 24,870.
• Sensex dropped 694 points (-0.85%), settling at 81,307.
• Bank Nifty declined 0.45%, finishing near 55,504.
• Nifty Midcap 150 slipped marginally, continuing a yearly decline of 0.35%.
• Nifty Smallcap 250 remained flat but is still down 4.7% over the last year.

Key Corporate Updates

Wipro’s $375M Acquisition Deal

Wipro announced the acquisition of Harman’s Digital Transformation Solutions for $375 million, aimed at strengthening its digital services portfolio.

Vedanta Announces Dividend

Vedanta declared a second interim dividend of ₹16 per share, translating to a total payout of ₹6,256 crore for FY26.

Apollo Hospitals Stake Sale

Promoters of Apollo Hospitals are set to offload up to 1.25% stake through a block deal, valued at approximately ₹1,395 crore.

Tata Capital IPO Update

Tata Capital reported strong Q1 results and filed an updated draft IPO prospectus, signaling progress toward its upcoming public issue.

IDBI Bank Privatization

The government confirmed that the IDBI Bank privatization process has entered the “core” phase, with due diligence expected to conclude by September.

Economic and Policy Highlights

Global Market Cues

Investors remained cautious ahead of US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at Jackson Hole, along with concerns over potential new US tariffs on Indian exports.

Employment Data

India’s unemployment rate eased to 5.2% in July, compared to 5.6% in June, reflecting gradual improvement in the job market.

Policy Announcements

The government rolled out a FASTag annual pass for highways to streamline toll payments. Market participants are also anticipating potential GST and income tax cuts, aimed at boosting consumer demand.

Growth Outlook

Analysts expect a recovery in the Indian economy by late 2025, supported by a combination of government measures and RBI rate cuts.

Outlook

With global and domestic policy decisions in focus, markets are likely to remain volatile in the coming week. Investors are expected to closely track international developments and domestic macroeconomic data for direction.

Tags: Indian stock market, Sensex today, Nifty 50 today, Bank Nifty performance, Wipro acquisition, Vedanta dividend, Apollo Hospitals stake sale, Tata Capital IPO, IDBI privatization, stock market news