Sensex Slips 170 Points, Nifty Below 25,450 at Amid Media and FMCG Drag

Market Update at 2:28 PM: Indian benchmark indices pared early gains to trade marginally lower on Thursday, weighed down by media and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) stocks amid subdued global cues.

At 2 PM, the BSE Sensex was trading at 82,105.34, down 170.73 points or 0.21 per cent. The NSE Nifty50 quoted 25,438.25, lower by 44.25 points or 0.17 per cent.

Among the Sensex 30 stocks, Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), Maruti Suzuki, Adani Ports, Sun Pharma and Infosys emerged as the Top Gainers. On the other hand, Trent, Power Grid, NTPC, Asian Paints and SBI were the notable laggards.

In the broader market, the Nifty Midcap 100 index gained 0.18 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index declined 0.27 per cent, indicating mixed sentiment beyond frontline indices.

On the sectoral front, Nifty Pharma led the gains, rising 0.6 per cent, followed by Nifty IT and Nifty Oil and Gas. Meanwhile, Nifty Media, FMCG, PSU Bank and Metal indices traded in the red during the session.

Market Update at 12:17 PM: Indian equity benchmark indices held marginal gains in Thursday's trade, supported by renewed buying interest in information technology shares for the second consecutive session.

At 12:00 PM, the BSE Sensex was down 86.23 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 82,189.84, while the NSE Nifty 50 index declined 25.35 points, or 0.07 per cent, to 25,464.55.

Among the 30-share Sensex pack, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, HCL Technologies and TCS were up around 1 per cent each. On the downside, Hindustan Unilever, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and IndiGo were the notable losers.

In the broader market, the BSE MidCap index rose 0.2 per cent and the SmallCap index added 0.1 per cent. The BSE IT index outperformed, gaining 1.4 per cent.

On the sectoral front, barring Nifty FMCG, all other sectoral indices were trading higher. Nifty IT, Pharma and Healthcare indices advanced over 1 per cent each.

Market Update at 10:09 AM: Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Thursday, supported by gains in information technology stocks and a broader rally across Asian markets after strong earnings from Nvidia. However, analysts indicated that the overall sentiment remains cautious due to the absence of fresh domestic triggers.

The Nifty 50 rose 0.29 per cent to 25,556.3, while the BSE Sensex added 0.17 per cent to 82,418.78 as of 9:15 a.m. IST.

All 16 major sectoral indices advanced at the open. The Nifty IT index, which has declined about 20 per cent so far in February, climbed 0.9 per cent. The broader Nifty Smallcap and Nifty Midcap indices gained around 0.2 per cent each.

On Wednesday, both benchmark indices had risen nearly 0.9 per cent in Intraday trade but surrendered most of their gains to close only marginally higher.

In the broader Asian region, markets rose 0.6 per cent, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The rally followed Nvidia posting a 73 per cent jump in quarterly revenue, surpassing market estimates.

Meanwhile, oil prices edged higher, hovering near seven-month highs, as investors assessed whether U.S.-Iran nuclear talks could help avert a conflict that may disrupt global supply.

Pre-Market Update at 7:54 AM: The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are expected to open higher on Thursday, 26 February 2026, tracking a strong rally in global markets. Asian markets traded in the green, while the U.S. stock market ended higher overnight, led by continued momentum in technology stocks. 

As of 7:33 am, Gift Nifty was trading around the 25,682 level, up nearly 63 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close, indicating a positive start for domestic indices.

In global trade developments, the U.S. tariff rate for certain countries will increase to 15 per cent or more from the recently introduced 10 per cent baseline, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said. However, he did not specify which countries would be impacted. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran are holding another round of negotiations in Geneva on Thursday to address their long-standing nuclear dispute and prevent potential U.S. military action following heightened troop deployments. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to participate in the indirect talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

On 25 February, Foreign Institutional Investors were net buyers, purchasing equities worth Rs 2,991.64 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors bought shares worth Rs 5,118.57 crore. FIIs have emerged as net buyers for February so far, with net inflows of Rs 4,361.57 crore.

On Wednesday, the Indian market gave up early gains but ended marginally higher. The Sensex rose 50.15 points, or 0.06 per cent, to close at 82,276.07, while the Nifty 50 gained 57.85 points, or 0.23 per cent, to settle at 25,482.50.

U.S. equities ended at their best levels in two weeks on Wednesday, supported by strength in technology stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 307.65 points, or 0.63 per cent, to 49,482.15. The S&P 500 rose 56.06 points, or 0.81 per cent, to 6,946.13, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 288.40 points, or 1.26 per cent, to 23,152.08. 

NVIDIA gained 1.44 per cent after reporting stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. NVIDIA reported record fourth-quarter revenue of USD 68.1 billion, up 73 per cent year-on-year and above estimates. Net profit more than doubled to USD 42.96 billion. The company projected current-quarter revenue of around USD 78 billion, plus or minus 2 per cent, significantly above Wall Street expectations of roughly USD 72 billion.

According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. crude stockpiles increased by 16 million barrels to 435.8 million barrels for the week ended 20 February, as refinery activity slowed and imports rose.

Gold held firm above USD 5,190 per ounce on Thursday, extending gains and hovering near a nearly four-week high amid geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties. Spot silver rose 0.5 per cent to USD 89.66 per ounce after hitting a three-week high in the previous session. Oil prices hovered near seven-month highs as markets assessed whether U.S.-Iran talks could avert a military conflict that may disrupt supplies, though gains were capped by rising U.S. crude inventories. WTI futures rose 0.32 per cent, or 21 cents, to USD 65.56 per barrel.

For 26 February, Sammaan Capital remains on the F&O ban list.

Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.