In morning trading on Thursday, the BSE Sensex fell by 592 points, equivalent to a 0.7% decrease, settling at 81,752. This decline wiped out the gains from the previous two sessions as traders exercised caution ahead of the upcoming Union Budget 2026, scheduled for release this weekend. The market sentiment was also influenced by the anticipation of the Q3 earnings reports. Despite the downward trend, a trade agreement between India and the EU mitigated further losses. Most sectors experienced declines, including the auto, tech, banking, and financial services sectors. In contrast, metal stocks saw a 1.3% increase, driven by expectations of heightened infrastructure spending in this year’s budget. Notable performers included Tata Steel, which advanced by 1.9%, and JSW Steel, rising by 0.9%. On the downside, the session's largest decliners were Maruti Suzuki, which fell by 2.4%, Asian Paints and Mahindra & Mahindra, both down 2.3%, along with Titan and Hindustan Unilever, each declining by 2.1%.