Markets opened sharply lower on Friday, February 13, 2026, with the BSE Sensex dropping over 750 points and the NSE Nifty50 slipping below 25,600. Weak global cues and a heavy sell-off in IT stocks led the steep decline, creating broad-based bearish sentiment across Dalal Street.
The IT sector bore the brunt of the selling. Large-cap technology names, including Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Wipro, were among the top losers, as investors grew concerned about slowing global demand and pressure on margins. This dragged the broader market lower, with all major indices trading in the red.
In contrast, banking and financial stocks showed relative resilience. Shares of State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank gained, providing some cushion to the market. Defensive stocks in sectors such as FMCG also saw minor gains, reflecting investors’ cautious rotation into safer bets amid volatility.
Analysts attributed the fall to multiple factors. Global markets were weaker, particularly in the tech space, following disappointing U.S. data and softer cues from Asian markets. Investors also remain watchful of domestic indicators and sector-specific headwinds, including regulatory developments and corporate earnings reports.
The sharp market slide wiped out significant wealth from investor portfolios, with estimates suggesting multi-lakh-crore losses across the indices. Traders advised caution, noting that the market could remain volatile in the coming sessions as it absorbs both domestic and global developments.
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