The benchmark equity indexes fell for the sixth straight day on Wednesday, February 12, as investors remained cautious in the face of intensifying trade battles and foreign investment withdrawals. Though the indexes fell dramatically during the day, the domestic stock indices recovered sharply during the mid-market session, with the core benchmark and wider indices recouping significant losses.
The S&P BSE SENSEX closed at 76,171.08, down 122.52 points, or 0.16%, while the NSE’s NIFTY50 index finished at 23,045.25, down 26.55 points, or 0.12%. Market players were cautious as US Treasury yields climbed following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s statement, which cast doubt on the road to reducing rates. Rising crude oil costs have also weighed on domestic mood. Crude oil prices climbed over concerns about Russian and Iranian oil supplies and sanctions threats, despite concerns that rising trade tariffs might slow global economic development.
Globally, Asian markets traded broadly in green as investors assessed the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on regional economies. However, Straits Times dipped 2.08 points, or 0.05%, to 3,858.68, while Taiwan Weighted slid 43.65 points, or 0.19%, to 23,340.40. Global oil benchmark Brent crude fell 0.78% to $76.40 a barrel. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold stocks worth ₹4,486.41 crore on Tuesday, per exchange data.
Market Statistics:
On Wednesday, up to 4,066 equities traded on the BSE. Out of this, 2,435 decreased, 1,534 advanced, and 97 scrips stayed constant. 45 stocks reached 52-week highs, while 721 stocks fell to one-year lows. Furthermore, just seven equities reached their upper and lower circuit bands on Wednesday.
Top Gainers and Losers The NIFTY50 index saw up to 28 stocks trade positively, while the remaining 22 finished in the negative. The top five gainers on the index were Bajaj Finserv, SBI Life, Shriram Finance, HDFC Life, and Tata Steel, which rose as high as 2.72%. However, the largest laggards were Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), Eicher Motors, Bharat Electronics, Power Grid, and IndusInd Bank, which fell as much as 3.20% on the 50-share index.
Greater market:
The wider market finished down, with the BSE MidCap index ending at 40,869.3, down 185.83 points (0.45%), and the BSE SmallCap index closing at 47,276.33, down 232.9 points (0.49%).
