New Delhi, Nov. 17 -- Can the market decisively break the 26,000-point hurdle it has wrestled with since last month?

Data in the cash and derivatives markets suggest that the feat might not be easy even after the ruling coalition's landslide win in the Bihar assembly polls.

Major market constituents like direct retail - who buy stocks directly rather than through mutual funds- and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares on Friday despite the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) victory in Bihar. This signals a likely tug of war between them and mutual funds above the 26,000 level -the benchmark Nifty50 index hit a high of 26,104.2 on 23 October after a year, before selling pressure dragged it down ...