Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, opened in the red on Friday, February 20, 2026, amid weak global cues and sustained FII pressure, with DIIs also turning net sellers in the previous session. While the 30-share BSE Sensex fell 225.65 points to start the session at 82,272.49, the Nifty shed 47.8 points to open at 25,406.55. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 82,498.14 and the Nifty 50 at 25,454.35. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the red in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index dropped 59.23 points, or 0.35 per cent, in the early trading session, the BSE Smallcap Select Index was down by 22.37 points or 0.29 per cent, to trade at 7,749.19.
“The sharp spike in Brent crude to $72 reflects growing fear and uncertainty in markets. President Trump’s warning that “Iran has 10 to 15 days to strike a deal or bad things happen “ has put the markets on tenterhooks. Whether there will be a deal after the standoff, or whether missiles will fly, will determine the market behaviour in the near-term. The continuing weakness in IT stocks is another dampener for the market,” said Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.
From the Sensex pack, Power Grid, Titan, NTPC, Larsen & Toubro and Mahindra & Mahindra were among the gainers with Power Grid leading the pack by gaining 1.19 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, Infosys, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, TCS and UltraTech Cement were among the losers with Infosys shedding 1.73 per cent in the opening trade.
In early trade, market breadth was negative, with 875 stocks advancing against 1,517 stocks declining on the NSE. 93 stocks remained unchanged.
What did Gift Nifty indicate?
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a flat to mildly positive start as it opened with a gain of 5.5 points at 25,399.50, compared to the previous close of 25,405. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned sellers and offloaded equities worth Rs 880.49 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also sold equities worth Rs 596.28 crore.
Asian Markets Today
Asian stocks dipped on Thursday, following a decline in US markets amid worries about a potential conflict between the United States and Iran. While Japan’s Nikkei 225 tumbled 702.83 points or 1.22 per cent to trade at 56,765.00, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down by 190.94 points. However, South Korea’s Kospi traded in the green with a gain of 92.66 points. Shanghai’s SSE Composite index was down by 51.95 points or 1.27 per cent.
