Indian equity benchmarks fell sharply on Monday amid weak global cues, persistent foreign fund outflows and lacklustre corporate earnings. At last check, the benchmark BSE Sensex pack plunged 382 points or 0.46 per cent to 82,118, while the broader NSE Nifty index shed 109 points or 0.44 per cent to trade at 25,040.
The decline comes amid subdued global sentiment as uncertainty lingers over the proposed India-US trade agreement, delaying any near-term relief for the markets. Adding to the pressure, the ongoing Q1 FY26 earnings season has started on a muted note.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to sell heavily in Indian equities. “Nifty has been exhibiting a weak trend, primarily due to sustained selling in IT stocks. This weakness could persist, especially as FIIs were major sellers in the cash market last Friday,” said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.
Despite the slump in the benchmark indices, broader markets showed relative resilience. The BSE MidCap index rose 0.54 per cent, and the BSE SmallCap index advanced 0.73 per cent, suggesting selective buying in the wider market.
Among sectors, IT remained the key drag due to earnings worries, while state-owned banks, pharma and healthcare stocks outperformed. “The market seems to have already priced in NIM compression for banks in Q1, and dips in quality financials may offer buying opportunities,” Vijayakumar added.
On the technical front, Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities, flagged further downside risks. “Nifty has formed a bearish weekly candle and a lower top on daily charts. It has also breached the 20-day SMA (simple moving average). As long as the index stays below 25,350, the trend remains negative,” he said.
Chouhan added that the index could test the 50-day SMA near 25,050/82,000 and further slide toward 24,900–24,800 or even 81,500–81,200 cannot be ruled out in the short term.
Looking ahead, the market will closely watch upcoming corporate earnings and any progress on the India-US trade deal for cues on near-term direction.
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