Last Updated on February 25, 2026 11:38 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
AMN
— Indian benchmark indices struggled to maintain their momentum on Wednesday, paring significant intraday gains to end the day on a flat note. While the IT and Metal sectors provided a much-needed cushion following Tuesday’s brutal sell-off, heavy profit booking in market heavyweights like Reliance Industries and SBI capped the upside.
The BSE Sensex closed at 82,276.07, up a marginal 50.15 points (0.06%), while the NSE Nifty 50 ended at 25,482.50, gaining 57.85 points (0.23%).
Morning Surge Meets Afternoon Reality
Driven by upbeat global cues and a cooling of AI-related panic in the U.S. markets, the Sensex opened with a 300-point gap-up. At its peak, the index hit an intraday high of 82,957.91, a jump of over 730 points. Similarly, the Nifty scaled 25,652.60, up 228 points.
However, the rally proved short-lived. As the session progressed, renewed concerns over U.S. tariff comments and profit booking at higher levels saw the Sensex plunge over 800 points from its day’s high, nearly slipping into the red before a late-session recovery.
“Indian markets opened with a gap-up, driven by a rebound in US tech stocks as AI-related uncertainty eased,” noted Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments. “However, the initial strength tapered off as renewed tariff-focused comments from the U.S. reignited global trade concerns.”
Sectoral Spotlight: IT & Metals Lead the Fightback
The Nifty IT Index was the star of the early session, surging 3.15% intraday as it attempted to recover from Tuesday’s 5% crash—triggered by a bearish report from Citrini Research regarding AI disruption. Although profit booking trimmed these gains, the index closed 1.57% higher, marking its best day since mid-January.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Top Gainers: HCL Tech (+2.74%), Bajaj Auto (+2.74%), Tata Steel (+2.43%), and TCS (+2.15%).
- Top Losers: SBI (-1.96%), Reliance Industries (-1.96%), and Adani Ports (-1.70%).
- Investor Wealth: Increased by ₹1.74 lakh crore, bringing the total market capitalization of BSE-listed firms to ₹467.38 lakh crore.
Market Dynamics and Global Cues
While the benchmarks remained cautious, the broader market showed more resilience. The BSE Midcap rose 0.79% and the Smallcap index edged up 0.31%.
| Index | Closing Value | Change (%) |
| BSE Sensex | 82,276.07 | +0.06% |
| NSE Nifty 50 | 25,482.50 | +0.23% |
| Nifty IT | 30,526.00* | +1.57% |
| India VIX | 13.49 | -4.68% |
Approximate based on percentage gain.
The Indian Rupee also faced pressure, settling 1 paisa lower at 90.96 against the U.S. Dollar. On the institutional front, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained the primary support, net buying shares worth ₹3,161.22 crore, while FIIs offloaded a marginal ₹102.53 crore on Tuesday.
Outlook
Analysts suggest that the market remains in a “wait-and-watch” mode. With India’s GDP data release scheduled for February 27 and ongoing volatility in global tech stocks ahead of major earnings like Nvidia, investors are advised to remain selective.
