Have you ever heard of the name Dalal street or the D-Street on any market news channel or financial magazine? I’m sure, you definitely would have heard of it, if you’re even remotely involved in the finance world.

Well, Dalal Street in Mumbai, India is the address of the Bombay Stock Exchange, the biggest stock exchange in India, and several related financial firms and institutions. When the Bombay Stock Exchange was moved to this new location at the intersection of Bombay Samāchār Marg and Hammam Street, the street next to the building was renamed Dalal Street.

In Hindi Dalal means “a broker”. The term “Dalal Street” is used in the same way as “Wall Street” in the U.S., referring to the country’s major stock exchanges and overall financial system.

What is Nifty and Sensex?

Nifty and Sensex are two prominent stock market indices in India that serve as indicators of the overall performance of the Indian stock market. Here’s a brief explanation of each:

1. Nifty: Nifty, also known as the Nifty 50 or the National Stock Exchange Fifty, is the benchmark index of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India. It represents the top 50 actively traded stocks across various sectors on the NSE. The Nifty index is calculated using free-float market capitalization-weighted methodology, which means that the weightage of each stock in the index is based on its market capitalization and the number of shares available for trading.

The Nifty provides a broad-based representation of the Indian equity market and is widely used by market participants, including investors, traders, and fund managers, to track the overall performance of the Indian stock market and make investment decisions. It is often used as a benchmark for various index funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and derivatives products.

2. Sensex: Sensex, short for the Sensitive Index, is the flagship index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India. It is one of the oldest and most widely followed market indices in India. The Sensex comprises the top 30 actively traded stocks listed on the BSE, which represent various sectors of the Indian economy.

Similar to the Nifty, the Sensex is calculated using a free-float market capitalization-weighted methodology. It serves as an indicator of the overall market sentiment and is considered a barometer of the Indian stock market’s health and performance. The Sensex is closely monitored by market participants, economists, and media to assess the general direction of the Indian equity market.

Both Nifty and Sensex provide investors and market participants with a consolidated view of the performance of the Indian stock market by tracking a basket of selected stocks. They offer a useful reference point to evaluate the performance of individual stocks, sectors, and the overall market, making them vital tools for investment analysis and decision-making.

1. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

1. Bombay stock exchange is an Indian stock exchange located at Dalal Street, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
2. It was established in 1875 and is Asia’s oldest stock exchange.
3. It is the world’s fastest stock exchange, with a median trade speed of 6 microseconds.
4. As of Feb 2022, 5,246 companies trading on the BSE were worth over Rs 264 Lakh Crore (Rs 26,451,334.95 Cr), as per data available on the exchange.

What is an Index? Since there are thousands of company listed on a stock exchange, hence it’s really hard to track every single stock to evaluate the market performance at a time. Therefore, a smaller sample is taken which is the representative of the whole market. This small sample is called Index and it helps in the measurement of the value of a section of the stock market. The index is computed from the prices of selected stocks.

SENSEX

Sensex, also called BSE 30, is the market index consisting of 30 well-established and financially sound companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

1. The 30 companies are selected on the basis of free-float market capitalization.
2. These are different companies from the different sectors representing a sample of large, liquid, and representative companies.
3. The base year of Sensex is 1978-79 and the base value is 100.
4. It is an indicator of market movement.
5. If the Sensex goes down, this tells you that the stock price of most of the major stocks on the BSE has gone down. If Sensex goes up, it means that most of the major stocks in BSE went up during the given period.

For example, suppose the Sensex is 49,130 today. If Sensex drops to 48,450 tomorrow, it means that the majority of the 30 companies are not performing well i.e. their share price is falling. 

 List of 30 Companies Consisting of Sensex

Here is the Sensex 30 Companies- Constituents of Sensex 30 by Weights – 2022

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) is the leading stock exchange in India, located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was started to end the monopoly of the Bombay stock exchange in the Indian market.

1. NSE was established in 1992 as the first demutualized electronic exchange in the country.
2. It was the first exchange in the country to provide a modern, fully automated screen-based electronic trading system that offered an easy trading facility to investors spread across the length and breadth of the country.
3. NSE has a total market capitalization of more than US$ 3.06 trillion, making it the world’s 9th-largest stock exchange as of April 2018.
4. NSE’s index, the NIFTY 50, is used extensively by investors in India and around the world as a barometer of the Indian capital markets.
5. The NSE remained the world’s largest derivatives exchange for the second consecutive year in 2020 in terms of the number of contracts traded.

 NIFTY or Nifty 50

Nifty, also called NIFTY 50, is the market index consisting of 50 well-established and financially sound companies listed on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).

1. The base year is taken as 1995 and the base value is set to 1000.
2. Nifty is calculated using 50 large stocks that are actively traded on the NSE.
3. The 50 companies are selected on the basis of free-float market capitalization.
4. Here, the 50 top stocks are selected from 24 different sectors.
5. Nifty is owned and managed by India Index Services and Products (IISL)

Also read: Nifty 50 fact sheet

Nifty-50 Companies – Constituents of Nifty 50 by Weights – 2022

Nifty and Sensex Movements Meaning

Sensex and Nifty are both indicators of market movement. If the Sensex or Nifty goes up, it means that most of the stocks in India went up during the given period.  With respect to NIFTY and NSE, we can say that:

1. If the Nifty goes up, this means that the stock price of most of the major stocks on the NSE has gone up.
2. On the other hand, if nifty goes down, this tells you that the stock price of most of the major stocks on NSE has gone down.

The same is true in the case of Sensex. Moreover, when Sensex/Nifty goes high, it shows the economic growth of the country. Else if it keeps declining, it might mean a slow-down or depression.

For example, during the Indian recession of 2008-09, the Sensex fell over 12000 points (-60%). The fall in the Sensex was analogous to the recession. Meaning, that people were selling their shares, and an economic crisis in the country.

Similarly, during the covid19 pandemic, the market crashed by over 33% within a month, which was again in relation to the deteriorating economic scenario in India and the world.

Also read:

• How to Invest in Share Market? A Beginner’s guide
• How to follow Stock Market?
• How to create your Stock Portfolio?
• How to Invest Your First Rs 1,000 in The Stock Market?
• #27 Key terms in share market that you should know

Importance of Market Index

1. The market indexes are the barometer for market behavior. It gives a general idea of whether most of the stocks have gone up or gone down.
2. Often, Market Index is used as a benchmark portfolio performance.
3. It is used as a reflector of investors’ sentiments.
4. Market indexes are used for the sorting and comparison of various companies.
5. Indices act as an underlying for Index Funds, Index Futures, and Options.
6. They are used in passive fund management by Index funds.
7. The index can give a comparison of returns on investments in stock markets as opposed to asset classes such as gold or debt.