Indian equity markets began the week on a muted note on Monday, trading almost flat with a slight negative bias amid a weaker-than-expected earnings season and AI-led pressure on technology stocks.
At 925 am, the BSE Sensex was down 22 points, or 0.02 per cent, at 83,604, while the Nifty 50 slipped 6 points, or 0.03 per cent, to 25,464. Broader markets underperformed the benchmarks. The Nifty Midcap 100 declined 0.34 per cent, and the Nifty Small Cap 100 fell 0.47 per cent.
Sectoral indices were mixed in early trade. Nifty IT dropped 0.55 per cent, while media stocks declined 0.84 per cent. On the positive side, Nifty Pharma rose 0.93 per cent, and the realty index edged up 0.55 per cent.
Market watchers placed immediate support for Nifty in the 25,300–25,350 zone, with resistance seen at 26,600–26,650.
The Bank Nifty showed relative resilience, holding above the key 60,000 psychological mark. Analysts said the crucial support zone of 60,000–59,700 aligns with the 20-day EMA and remains vital for maintaining a bullish structure.
Global Cues And Institutional Flows In Focus
Domestic markets are expected to remain sensitive to global cues after last week’s sharp correction driven by weakness in technology stocks. Concerns over AI-driven disruption have tempered optimism sparked earlier by the US–India interim trade framework, reinforcing a broader risk-off tone.
Foreign institutional investor (FII) participation has turned mixed and cautious as investors reassess elevated valuations, while steady domestic institutional investor (DII) inflows continue to provide some support.
In the near term, sentiment remains fragile, with markets likely to consolidate until clearer signals emerge from global macro indicators. Investors are closely watching upcoming triggers such as US Federal Reserve minutes, PCE inflation data and PMI releases.
In Asia, China’s Shanghai index fell 1.26 per cent, and Shenzhen declined 1.28 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.12 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.38 per cent, while South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.28 per cent.
US markets ended mostly higher in the previous session, though the Nasdaq eased 0.22 per cent. The S&P 500 rose 0.05 per cent, and the Dow Jones gained 0.1 per cent. On February 13, FIIs net sold equities worth Rs 7,395 crore, while DIIs net bought Rs 5,553 crore.
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