**Market Brief: Friday Selloff Pre-Budget** **Market Snapshot** Indian equity benchmarks witnessed a sharp correction on Friday, **January 30**, snapping a three-day winning streak. Volatility spiked as investors booked profits and adopted a defensive stance ahead of the upcoming Union Budget. **Key Indices** * **BSE Sensex:** Tumbled over **500 points**, trading around the **82,000** mark. * **NSE Nifty:** Slipped below the psychological **25,300** level, shedding approximately **150–170 points**. * **Broader Market:** Midcap and Smallcap indices underperformed, dropping over **1%** as risk appetite faded. **Primary Drivers** * **Pre-Budget Caution:** With the Union Budget presentation scheduled for **February 1**, traders lightened positions to mitigate event risk. * **Foreign Outflows:** Persistent selling by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) dampened sentiment. FIIs have offloaded nearly **₹43,000 crore** in Indian equities throughout January. * **Global Cues:** Weakness in US technology stocks and geopolitical tensions weighed on global markets, dragging domestic indices lower. **Sectoral & Currency Impact** * **Laggards:** IT and Metal sectors led the fall. Major heavyweights like **Tata Steel**, **Infosys**, and **HCL Tech** saw significant cuts. * **Resilience:** Defensive sectors offered some shelter, with select **FMCG** stocks like ITC and Hindustan Unilever trading in the green. * **Rupee Weakness:** The Indian Rupee remained under pressure, hovering near record lows of **91.92** against the US Dollar, further impacting investor confidence. **Outlook** The market remains in a "wait-and-watch" mode. Analysts expect volatility to persist until the Budget announcement clarifies the government's fiscal roadmap and capital expenditure plans for FY27.