At 9:20 am IST, the benchmark BSE Sensex was down 310.64 points or 0.41%, reaching 75,628.54. The broader NSE Nifty opened 74.00 points down or 0.32% in the red, reaching 22,858.90.

Also Read: Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati is launching her own rival AI startup Thinking Machines Lab

Which stocks fell the most?

Among the 30 Sensex stocks, Mahindra & Mahindra fell the most by 2.12%, trading at ₹2,698.75. This was followed by ITC, which fell 1.40%, trading at ₹400.80, and HDFC Bank, which fell by 1.18%, trading at ₹1,706.50

Only 8 of the 30 Sensex stocks were in the green.

Also Read: Hurun India 500 list: Reliance, TCS, and HDFC Bank among India’s most valuable companies

How did individual sectors perform?

Among the Nifty sectoral indices, the Nifty Auto Index fell the most by 0.89%, reaching 21,614.65, followed by Nifty FMCG, which fell 0.77%, reaching 51,956.80, and the Nifty Realty, which fell 0.62%, reaching 840.70.

Also Read: Gold prices hover near record high as Trump tariff fears boost its safe haven appeal

How did the stock market perform during the previous session?

The stock market closed relatively flat, but in the red after the last session ended on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, with IT, healthcare, and pharma stocks declining the most.

This marked the second consecutive flat close of the week which was slightly towards the red.

The Sensex closed 28.21 points or 0.04% in the red, reaching 75,939.18. The Nifty was down by 12.40 points or 0.05% in the red, closing at 22,932.90.

“The Nifty ended slightly down yesterday but the script was familiar – the opening slump was bought into, with the decline reversing from just above the crucial 22,700-22,800 zone,” said Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities. “The broader nse500, smallcap and midcap indices traced bullish engulfing pattens showing solid demand near the recent lows we have seen.”

“The market has to get out of the 22,700 – 23,300 zone for any real trend to begin, until which time, this churn is likely to continue,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kunal Kamble, Senior Technical Research Analyst at Bonanza said the “Nifty has remained range-bound for the past six sessions, trading between 23,200 and 22,700. A decisive breakout is required beyond these levels.”

“With today’s weekly expiry, the index is likely to close below 23,100, indicating continued consolidation unless a strong directional move emerges in the coming sessions,” he added.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers, offloading ₹1,881.30 crore of equities towards the end, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained net buyers like the previous session, buying ₹1,957.74 crore.

Among the 30 Sensex stocks, Tata Consultancy Services dropped the most by 2.28%, closing at ₹3,781.35. This was followed by Infosys, which fell 2.20%, closing at ₹1,810.80, and Hindustan Unilever, which fell 1.98%, closing at ₹2,250.25.

17 out of the 30 Sensex stocks were in the red.

Among the Nifty Sectoral Indices, the Nifty IT Index fell the most by 1.30%, reaching 40,924.25, followed by Nifty Healthcare, which fell 0.78%, reaching 13,363.85, and Nifty Pharma which was down 0.71%, closing at 20,820.00.

Nifty Healthcare and Pharma fell the most on open today and was in the red during the early trade session as US President Donald Trump sought to impose a 25% tariff on Indian-made pharmaceuticals. The US is India’s largest export destination of pharmaceuticals.

Nifty IT was dragged down by LTIMindtree (3.55% down), Tata Consultancy Services (2.28% down), and Infosys (2.22% down).

Nifty Healthcare was dragged down by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (2.48% down), Zydus Lifesciences (2.21% down), and Aurobindo Pharma (2.13% down).

Nifty Pharma was dragged down by Natco Pharma (2.70% down), Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (2.48% down), and Zydus Lifesciences (2.21% down).