Nifty Logs Worst Month Since Feb 2025; Sensex Dips 297 Points Ahead of Budget

• Indian equity markets ended lower on Friday, breaking a three-session winning streak, as investors grew cautious ahead of the Union Budget 2026.
• The Nifty 50 declined 0.39% to 25,320.65, and the Sensex fell 0.36% to 82,269.78.
• Nifty recorded its steepest monthly fall since February 2025, dropping 3.1%.
• Tata Steel, Power Grid, ICICI Bank, HCL Tech, and Tech Mahindra were top Sensex losers, while M&M, SBI, ITC, HUL, BEL, and Titan gained.
• Nifty Metal index plunged over 5%, making it the worst sectoral performer; Nifty Media and Nifty FMCG closed positive.

Why It Matters: Indian markets closed lower, with Nifty seeing its worst month since Feb 2025, as Budget 2026 looms.