Post-Market Report: IT Sell-off Caps Gains as Sensex and Nifty End Flat
Published: 2026-02-04 17:00 IST | Category: Markets | Author: Abhi
Market Performance Today
The Indian equity markets ended a volatile session on a flat note this Wednesday, February 04, 2026. While the indices managed to stay in the green, the momentum from the previous day's record rally was significantly curtailed by a sharp correction in technology stocks. At the closing bell:
- The BSE Sensex finished at 83,817.69, up by 78.56 points or 0.09%.
- The NSE Nifty 50 settled at 25,776.00, gaining 48.45 points or 0.19%.
- The Nifty IT index was the biggest laggard, plummeting nearly 6% during the day.
Top Movers (Sectors and Stocks)
The market breadth remained positive despite the flat finish of the heavyweights, with buying interest seen in power, energy, and consumer durable stocks.
Top Gainers:
- Eternal (up over 5%)
- Trent (up over 5%)
- ONGC (up 4.09%)
- NTPC
- Power Grid
- Adani Ports
Top Losers:
- Infosys (down over 8%)
- TCS (down over 7%)
- Tech Mahindra (down 5.45%)
- HCL Technologies
- Wipro
- Axis Bank
Sectoral Highlights:
- Gainers: Nifty Consumer Durables led the charts with a 2.6% rise, followed by Nifty Oil & Gas which gained 2%.
- Losers: Nifty IT saw its worst session in months, falling 6%, while Nifty Pharma ended slightly in the red, down 0.34%.
Key Drivers of Today's Market
Several global and domestic factors influenced the direction of the indices today:
- AI-Led Tech Rout: The primary drag on the market was a global sell-off in software stocks. Concerns over advancements in "agentic AI" and the launch of a new legal productivity tool by AI startup Anthropic spooked investors, leading to fears that traditional IT outsourcing models are facing an existential threat.
- Geopolitical Tensions: Rising friction between the U.S. and Iran kept investors on edge, leading to intraday volatility as oil prices and global risk sentiment fluctuated.
- RBI Policy Anticipation: With the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting currently underway, traders adopted a "wait-and-watch" approach ahead of the interest rate decision scheduled for Friday.
- Trade Deal Residual Optimism: The market found some support from the ongoing positive sentiment regarding the recently announced India-US trade deal, which has significantly eased long-term tariff concerns.
Broader Market Performance
In contrast to the flat performance of the front-line indices, the broader markets showed much greater strength as value buying emerged in mid and small-sized companies.
- The Nifty MidCap 100 index gained 0.63%.
- The Nifty SmallCap 100 index outperformed significantly, rising 1.27%.
- On the BSE, the advance-decline ratio remained healthy, with 2,528 shares advancing against ,1536 declining.
TAGS: Post-Market, Stock Market, Nifty, Sensex, Market Analysis
Tags: Post-Market Stock Market Nifty Sensex Market Analysis