Mumbai, India – February 13, 2026
Indian equity markets ended sharply lower on Friday, tracking weak global cues and heavy selling in metal, IT, and commodity stocks.
The 30-share BSE Sensex plunged 1,048.16 points (1.25%) to close at 82,626.76. During the session, it fell as much as 1,140.37 points to an intraday low of 82,534.55.
The broader NSE Nifty 50 declined 336.10 points (1.30%) to settle at 25,471.10, after hitting an intraday low of 25,444.30.
The sharp decline marked a weak end to the week, with benchmark indices slipping over 1% amid heightened volatility.
What Triggered the Market Decline?
According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, domestic markets closed lower after a highly volatile session due to weak global signals ahead of upcoming U.S. inflation data.
He noted that earlier optimism around the India-U.S. trade agreement faded as renewed concerns over AI-driven disruptions weighed on investor sentiment. Markets are increasingly cautious that Indian IT firms, which rely heavily on labor arbitrage models, may face intensified competition compared to Nasdaq-listed tech companies.
The cautious tone spread across broader markets, pushing most major sectoral indices into negative territory.
Metal stocks saw profit booking amid a strengthening dollar index. Reports suggesting Russia’s return to the U.S. dollar settlement system fueled speculation of potential sanction relief, raising concerns about weak recovery prospects for global metal companies.
Sectoral & Company-Wise Performance
Among Sensex constituents, major laggards included:
Hindustan Unilever
Titan Company
Tata Steel
Adani Ports
Tata Consultancy Services
Reliance Industries
HDFC Bank
HCL Technologies
On the gaining side, only:
Bajaj Finance
State Bank of India
managed to close in positive territory.
Global Markets & Currency Update
Asian markets ended in the red, including:
Hang Seng Index
SSE Composite Index
Nikkei 225
KOSPI
European markets traded mixed during mid-session hours. On Thursday, U.S. markets had closed lower by up to 2%, adding pressure to domestic equities.
Meanwhile, the Indian rupee slipped 3 paise to close at 90.64 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar.
Global oil benchmark Brent Crude rose 0.32% to $67.81 per barrel.
Institutional Flow
Exchange data showed that:
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹108.42 crore on Thursday.
Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) purchased shares worth ₹276.85 crore.
Despite institutional inflows, broader sentiment remained cautious.
Previous Session Recap
On Thursday, the BSE Sensex had fallen 558.72 points to 83,674.92, while the Nifty 50 declined 146.65 points to close at 25,807.20, setting the stage for Friday’s deeper correction.
📊 Market Summary
Sensex: 82,626.76 (↓ 1,048.16 points)
Nifty: 25,471.10 (↓ 336.10 points)
Rupee: 90.64 vs USD
Brent Crude: $67.81 per barrel
The market remains sensitive to global economic data, currency movements, and sector-specific headwinds, particularly in IT and metal stocks.
