Benchmarks recover from weak start; sector-specific pressure persists
Indian equity markets recovered from early weakness on Monday, supported by buying in select heavyweight stocks, even as pressure remained concentrated in capital market and technology names.
- The Sensex gained 650.39 points (0.82%) to close at 83,277.15
- The Nifty 50 advanced 211.65 points (0.83%) to settle at 25,682.75
- Both indices had opened on a cautious note before firming up in the afternoon session
- The Indian rupee edged lower by 0.02% to 90.65 against the US dollar
Capital market stocks slide after RBI exposure norms
Shares of exchanges and brokerage firms came under sharp pressure following the RBI’s new capital market exposure guidelines announced on February 13.
- BSE shares dropped nearly 10%, trading around ₹2,726–₹2,736
- Angel One declined between 6–9%
- Other brokerage stocks fell 1–6%
The new regulations, effective April 1, 2026, mandate:
- 100% secured loans, backed by collateral
- Minimum 40% haircut on equity collateral
- Stricter bank guarantee requirements
IT stocks remain under pressure
- The Nifty IT index has declined 8.65% over the past week, reflecting sustained selling amid concerns around AI-led disruption and global tech spending trends
- Large-cap IT stocks such as Infosys, TCS and HCL Tech continued to face pressure as investors reassess earnings visibility in a rapidly evolving technology environment
- Attention is now on the India AI Impact Summit beginning February 16, which features global technology leaders including Sam Altman, and may influence near-term sentiment toward the sector
Sectoral performance mixed
- Nifty Auto and Nifty IT indices ended down nearly 1%
- Private banking and healthcare stocks outperformed, helping support the broader market
Market breadth remained weak:
- Of 4,343 stocks traded on the BSE, 1,663 advanced while 2,489 declined
- 85 stocks hit upper circuits, while 185 stocks touched lower circuits
Commodities update
Precious metals traded lower, tracking weakness in global markets and subdued domestic demand.
- Silver futures declined close to 2%, slipping toward ₹2.4 lakh per kilogram, reflecting softer overseas cues and muted buying interest in the physical market
- Gold futures eased by ₹589 to around ₹1.55 lakh per 10 grams, pressured by a bearish international trend
Market takeaway
- Monday’s session highlighted a divergence beneath headline indices
- While benchmarks recovered strongly from intraday lows, structural pressure on capital market stocks following regulatory changes and continued weakness in IT kept overall sentiment cautious
- The broader market continues to show resilience, but regulatory shifts and sector-specific developments are increasingly driving stock-level volatility
Other major headlines
- NPCI has launched ‘UPI One World’, enabling foreign visitors to use UPI for payments in India. The initiative was announced at the AI Impact Summit 2026 and is aimed at improving payment accessibility for international travellers
- Generative AI-related concerns have led to an estimated notional erosion of around ₹50,000 crore in mutual fund holdings, driven by valuation adjustments in technology-linked stocks
- Mutual funds have turned net sellers in February, selling approximately ₹4,100 crore so far, marking the first instance of net selling in three years
- China’s imports of Russian crude are expected to hit a fresh record in February, marking a third consecutive monthly increase
Source: Financial Express, Economic Times, BusinessLine, Moneycontrol, Perplexity Finance
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