Stock markets open lower amid weakness in IT, Services shares
The Hindu
Stock markets open lower, led by declines in IT and Services, while select stocks like ITC and Tata Steel gain.
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty began the trade on a negative territory on Wednesday (February 18, 2026), tracking losses in IT and Services stocks in a volatile session.
After a bearish start, the 30-share BSE Sensex further declined 247.92 points, or 0.30%, to 83,203.04.
The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 70.25 points, or 0.27%, to 25,655.15.
Among the Sensex constituents, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Adani Ports, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Eternal, Maruti Suzuki India, Asian Paints, Trent, HDFC Bank, IndiGo, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank were the major laggards.
On the other hand, ITC, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv, Bharat Electronics Ltd, State Bank of India, UltraTech Cement, Sun Pharmaceutical and Bajaj Finance were the gainers.
"The volatility in IT stocks may continue, in response to incoming news relating to the sector. Overall, IT stocks may remain weak since uncertainty surrounding the sector is huge and large institutional investors are unlikely to invest big time in IT stocks, unless valuations become compelling," V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Ltd, said.
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