Stock market recap, Feb. 1 -- The Indian stock markets closed lower on Friday, 30 January, as various factors led to widespread selling across different sectors. The Sensex dropped approximately 0.35% to finish close to 82,269, while the Nifty 50 fell 0.40% to 25,320.

According to experts, the decline was influenced by profit-taking in anticipation of the Union Budget, a significant drop in commodity prices, and weak signals from global markets, which collectively led to a cautious investor sentiment.

Investors will now focus on the Union Budget scheduled for Sunday, 1 February. The markets will function in a special trading session.

Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India for 1 February:

Buy: CreditAcesss Grameen Ltd (current ...