Indian equity markets ended the first trading session of the calendar year 2026 on a flat note, as investors stayed cautious in the absence of strong domestic or global triggers.
At the close of trade, the Sensex slipped marginally by 32 points, or 0.04 per cent, to settle at 85,188.6.
The Nifty, meanwhile, edged higher by 16.95 points, or 0.06 per cent, to close at 26,146.55.
"For the Nifty, 26,000–26,050 continues to act as an immediate support zone; as long as this area holds, the short-term bias remains constructive," an analyst said.
On the upside, 26,250–26,300 stands out as a crucial supply zone. A decisive and sustained breakout above this band could open the path toward 26,400–26,500, market watchers stated.
Selling pressure was seen in select heavyweight stocks on the BSE, with ITC, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints and BEL ending the session among the top losers.
On the other hand, shares of NTPC, Eternal, Larsen & Toubro, Power Grid and Mahindra & Mahindra supported the market and closed higher.
The broader markets showed a mixed trend. The Nifty Midcap 100 index gained 0.44 per cent, while the NSE Smallcap 100 slipped slightly by 0.05 per cent.
On the sectoral front, FMCG stocks witnessed sharp selling. The Nifty FMCG index fell 3.17 per cent, making it the worst-performing sector of the day.
The decline was mainly driven by a nearly 10 per cent fall in ITC shares, as investors reacted to concerns over the government's decision to impose additional taxes on tobacco products from February 1.
In contrast, the auto sector outperformed the broader market. The Nifty Auto index rose more than 1 per cent after several automobile manufacturers reported their sales numbers for December 2025.
Other sectors such as IT, metal, banking and realty also ended the session in positive territory.
Analysts said that the markets remained range-bound on the first day of the new year, with gains in some sectors offset by weakness in FMCG stocks, keeping the benchmark indices largely unchanged.
(With inputs from IANS)
