The Indian stock market opened in the red on Wednesday as investor sentiment remained cautious due to ongoing concerns over former U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
At the opening bell, the Nifty 50 started at 23,050, while the Sensex began at 76,188, both down 0.1 per cent. By 9:31 am, the Sensex had declined by 364.21 points (0.48 per cent) to 75,929.39, while the Nifty fell 118 points (0.52 per cent) to 22,953.80.
Market Movers and Sectoral Performance
Reliance Industries, ITC, and HDFC Bank were among the biggest losers on the Nifty. Sectorally, Nifty Metal and Nifty IT saw gains, while Nifty Realty and Nifty Auto led the declines.
Meanwhile, the rupee strengthened, gaining 39 paise to trade at 86.44 against the US dollar, compared to its previous close of 86.83 on Tuesday.
Expert Insights on Market Trends
Market analysts believe that concerns surrounding Trump’s trade policies continue to weigh on investor confidence.
“Dalal Street is under pressure as fears grow that further declines could occur if Nifty falls below the critical 23,000 level. The index has already dropped 2.42 per cent this year and remains 12 per cent below its all-time high from September 2024,” said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research) at Mehta Equities.
Broader markets are also witnessing a sell-off, with major sectors experiencing declines.
“The sustained weakness across sectors is making it a challenging environment for investors, requiring careful analysis of market trends and investment strategies,” said Sameet Chavan, Head of Research (Technical and Derivatives) at Angel One.
Institutional Investor Activity
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their selling spree on February 11, offloading equities worth ₹4,486 crore. Meanwhile, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) attempted to stabilize the market by purchasing equities worth ₹4,001 crore.
“The impact of these transactions on overall market direction will be closely watched,” said Aakash Shah from Choice Broking.
Asian Market Performance
Elsewhere in Asia, South Korean stocks traded slightly higher, supported by institutional buying, despite concerns over the broader economic impact of Trump’s tariff measures.
