India's benchmark stock gauges Sensex and Nifty settled in positive territory for the first time after eight sessions on Monday, February 17, 2025. The 30 companies index climbed towards the fag end and closed just below 76,000 levels. While, the broader constituent gauge also finished just below the coveted 23,000 mark. Financials pull Sensex up Among the Sensex pack, stocks like Bajaj Finserv, IndusInd Bank, Adani Ports, Power Grid, Ultra Cement, HDFC Bank, Zomato, Neste, Tata Motors, SBI, NTPC, Maruti etc helped keep the barometre in positive zone on Monday. Nifty Pharma Bank reports highest gains Among the National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) thematic indices, Nifty Pharma spurted the most and was up more than 1% by close of trade. Nifty’s performance in the face of the world: Both global, domestic factors behind market mayhem: Highbrow Securities Albeit, the indices settled positively on Monday, but, in the last few months domestic equities have really disappointed investors. Investment house, Highbrow Securities, Tarun Singh, founder MD, said, “It’s evident that the Indian equities market is currently experiencing a downturn, driven by a complex mix of domestic and international factors.” He sees falling value of rupee as one of major reasons behind FIIs selling. Singh added, “The depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar is significantly straining the economy, making imports increasingly costly and elevating borrowing expenses for Indian companies. This fiscal strain is mirrored in a subdued market performance.” Rich valuations, muted corporate earning season behind current market downturn: Lemonn Markets While, Satish Chandra Aluri​​​​​​ of Lemonn Markets Desk attributes the ongoing correction to rich valuations and muted corporate earning season. Aluri​​​​​​ said, "In our view, apart from the mentioned factors, fundamentals like lackluster earnings and high valuations are the reason why we are seeing prolonged weakness." Unabated FIIs selling:Original Article