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Sensex plunged 801 points to 82,873, and Nifty slipped 250 points to 25,556, as IT stocks crashed and global cues weakened sentiment.
Nifty IT index tumbled 5.5%, with Infosys at Rs. 1,356 and TCS at Rs. 2,689, pressured by AI fears and US inflation uncertainty.
Hindalco dropped 5.26% after reporting a sharp 45.1% fall in quarterly profit, on profit-booking.
The stock market today, on February 13, 2026, saw heavy selling pressure. BSE Sensex was down 801.04 points or 0.96 % at 82,873.88 at press time. Meanwhile, Nifty 50 slipped 250.65 points or 0.97% to 25,556.55, according to Moneycontrol data.
The sell-off intensified during late morning trade as investors felt queasy ahead of the US inflation data release scheduled for later tonight. Concerns over AI disruption in the IT sector and profit-booking after the recent India-US trade deal rally added to the dampening market sentiment. Let’s find out why the Indian stock market is down today.
The technology sector bore the brunt of the sell-off. Nifty IT index crashed 5.5 %. Infosys share price plunged 2.13 % to Rs. 1,356.50, while Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) fell 2.22% to Rs. 2,689. HCL Technologies stock dropped 1.49 % to Rs. 1,454.10, and Wipro slid 1.93 % to Rs. 214.85.
This sell-off was triggered by a combination of overnight losses in the Nasdaq, which slumped 2.03%. A growing realization of the ‘Anthropic shock’, a term referring to the structural threat that advanced generative AI agents pose to the traditional labor-intensive outsourcing model, also added to the bearish mood. Despite the initial panic, many IT stocks managed a partial recovery. Infosys, for example, bounced 5.75% from its intraday low of Rs. 1,281.50 as some value seekers entered the fray.
The metal sector saw BSE Metal index dip by over 3% in the stock market today. Hindalco Industries led the decline. The stock was down 5.26% to Rs. 913.65 after reporting a 45.1% drop in Q3 consolidated profit. The latter stood at Rs. 2,049 crore, despite revenue rising 13.9 % to Rs. 66,521 crore. The company's earnings were badly impacted by a loss of Rs. 2,610 crore from major fire incidents at its US-based Novelis Oswego plant.
NMDC dropped 4.45 %, Hindustan Zinc fell 3.96 %, and Vedanta declined 3.8 %. Energy stocks also faced pressure. ONGC shares dropped 2.82% to Rs. 268.55 despite posting a 22.6% rise to Rs. 11,946.4 crore in quarterly profit.
The broader market mirrored this trend, as the Nifty Midcap 100 fell nearly 1.8% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 slid close to 2%, with almost 150 stocks touching their 52-week lows.
BSE Realty index dropped nearly 3 %, tracking weakness in IT stocks that employ many professionals in metro cities. Prestige Estates, DLF, and Godrej Properties were among the major losers in the sector.
Market volatility surged. India VIX (Volatility Index) jumped 6.5 % to around 12.5, signaling heightened risk aversion among investors. Only five Nifty 50 stocks traded in the green zone around mid-day. Bajaj Finance led gainers with a 1.4 % rise to Rs. 1,008.60, followed by Eicher Motors up 1.27 % at Rs. 8,043.50.
Muthoot Finance reported a massive 94.9 % jump in Q3 profit to Rs. 2,656.4 crore, but the stock dipped 11.48 % to Rs. 3,602.05 as investors booked profits. Similarly, Indian Hotels Company shares fell 3.02% to Rs. 690.10 despite a 50.9% rise in profit.
Biocon's profit zoomed nearly six-fold to Rs. 143.8 crore, pushing the stock up 0.87 % to Rs. 378.50. Engineers India reported a 219.3 % profit surge to Rs. 347.2 crore. At the same time, Honasa Consumer saw profit rise 92.9 % to Rs. 50.2 crore.
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While the domestic mood remains cautious, institutional flows continue to show some resilience. Foreign Institutional Investors continued their buying streak. They bought equities worth Rs. 108 crore on February 12, the fifth consecutive day of inflows. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also supported the market with inflows of Rs. 277 crore. However, the Indian Rupee opened slightly weaker at Rs. 90.66 per dollar, reflecting global dollar strength.
VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, noted that panic selling in IT stocks at this stage may not be a good idea. Investors may wait and watch for the dust to settle. The volatility, instead, can be used as a good opportunity to buy more of the high-quality growth stocks, particularly those with good Q3 results. Technical analysts suggest key support for Nifty lies at 25,700-25,500 levels, while resistance is at 26,000. The upcoming US inflation data will likely determine the market's direction in the coming sessions.
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1. Which stocks are in focus today?
Infosys, TCS, HCL Technologies, and Wipro are in focus as IT stocks faced heavy selling. Hindalco is also in the spotlight after reporting a 45% drop in quarterly profit. Muthoot Finance saw a sharp fall despite strong earnings. ONGC, Biocon, and Engineers India are also being closely tracked due to their quarterly results.
2. What happened in the Indian stock market today?
The Indian stock market saw heavy selling on February 13, 2026. Sensex fell 801 points while Nifty dropped 250 points. IT stocks led the fall after concerns about AI disruption and weak global tech cues. Metal and energy stocks also declined. Volatility rose sharply as investors turned cautious ahead of US inflation data.
3. Why is Sensex going down today?
Sensex is falling due to global weakness and sector-specific concerns. The Nasdaq dropped over 2%, which hurt IT stocks in India. AI disruption fears also added pressure on outsourcing companies. Profit booking after recent gains and caution before US inflation data further weakened sentiment across sectors.
4. How is Nifty performing today?
Nifty is trading at 25,556, down 250 points or nearly 1%. The index is hovering near key support levels between 25,700 and 25,500. IT stocks are the biggest drag, while only a few stocks are trading in green. Midcap and smallcap indices are also down, showing broad-based weakness.
5. What is the latest share market news?
The latest share market news highlights heavy selling in IT and metal stocks. India VIX jumped 6.5%, indicating rising investor fear. Nearly 150 stocks hit 52-week lows. Despite the fall, FIIs and DIIs continued buying. Investors are now watching US inflation data for the next market trigger.
