Stock Markets February 12, 2026

Nifty Ends Lower as Tech, Real Estate and Energy Stocks Weigh on Markets

Benchmark indices slip; select financials and auto names buck the downtrend while volatility edges up

By Nina Shah INFY
Nifty Ends Lower as Tech, Real Estate and Energy Stocks Weigh on Markets
INFY

India's equity benchmarks closed lower on Thursday with the Nifty 50 down 0.57% and the BSE Sensex off 0.66%. Losses concentrated in Technology, Real Estate and Oil & Gas drove the retreat, even as Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance and Eicher Motors posted gains. Market breadth favoured decliners and the India VIX rose modestly; key commodities and currency pairs also moved lower.

Key Points

  • Nifty 50 fell 0.57% and BSE Sensex lost 0.66%, driven by declines in Technology, Real Estate and Oil & Gas.
  • Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance and Eicher Motors were among the top gainers, while Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS posted the largest declines.
  • Market breadth was negative with decliners outnumbering advancers on both the NSE and BSE; India VIX rose to 11.74.

Equity markets in India finished the trading day in negative territory on Thursday, with the Nifty 50 and the BSE Sensex both posting declines amid sector-wide weakness. The Nifty 50 fell 0.57% by the close on the National Stock Exchange, while the Sensex 30 on the Bombay Stock Exchange lost 0.66%.

Sector pressure came primarily from shares in Technology, Real Estate and Oil & Gas, which collectively pushed overall indices lower. Notable individual moves diverged from the broader trend, however, with a handful of financial and auto names gaining ground.

Top performers

  • Bajaj Finance Ltd (BJFN) was the session's strongest gainer on the Nifty 50, rising 3.31% - a gain of 32.05 points - to finish at 1,001.00.
  • Shriram Finance Ltd. (SHMF) climbed 2.48% or 26.20 points to close at 1,083.00, reaching an all-time high in the process.
  • Eicher Motors Ltd. (EICH) advanced 2.13% or 165.50 points, ending the day at 7,936.50 and also marking an all-time high for the stock.

Largest decliners

  • Tech Mahindra Ltd (TEML) led losses, tumbling 6.39% or 104.50 points to close at 1,529.90 on the NSE and 6.25% to 1,532.05 on the BSE.
  • Infosys Ltd (INFY) fell 6.09% or 89.70 points to 1,382.20 on the NSE - a move that drove the stock to a 52-week low - and declined 5.94% to 1,385.00 on the BSE.
  • Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) dropped 5.77% or 167.90 points to 2,741.90 on the NSE, a level the release characterises as a five-year low; on the BSE it lost 5.71% to settle at 2,743.15.

Breadth and exchange-level detail

The session saw a clear skew toward falling issues. On the National Stock Exchange, declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones by 1,647 to 865, with 37 stocks unchanged. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, 2,386 shares fell and 1,597 advanced, while 145 were unchanged.

Additional notable moves

  • Shares of Shriram Finance Ltd. (SHMF) rose to all-time highs, closing at 1,083.00.
  • Shares of Infosys Ltd (INFY) fell to 52-week lows, ending at 1,382.20 on the NSE and 1,385.00 on the BSE.
  • Shares of Eicher Motors Ltd. (EICH) rose to all-time highs, closing at 7,936.50.
  • Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) reached five-year lows, closing at 2,741.90 on the NSE and 2,743.15 on the BSE.
  • State Bank Of India (SBI) recorded an all-time high on the BSE, rising 0.76% or 8.95 points to close at 1,191.95.
  • On the BSE, ICICI Bank Ltd (ICBK) was among the gainers, up 1.86% to settle at 1,432.00.

Volatility, commodities and currencies

Volatility, as measured by the India VIX for Nifty 50 options, increased 1.65% to 11.74, reflecting a modest rise in implied volatility after the risk-off moves.

In commodities trading, April gold futures were lower, down 0.30% or 15.39 to $5,083.11 a troy ounce. Crude oil prices also eased: the March contract fell 0.50% or 0.32 to $64.31 a barrel, and the April Brent contract slipped 0.58% or 0.40 to $69.00 a barrel.

Currency moves included USD/INR declining 0.18% to 90.56, and EUR/INR slipping 0.10% to 107.61. The US Dollar Index Futures was marginally lower, down 0.01% at 96.71.

Closing note

The trading day closed with the market narrowing into less optimistic territory and a small uptick in implied volatility. Separately, the release included a promotional query about investment opportunities in 2026 and described a data and AI-driven product positioned to help investors evaluate ideas, noting it aims to combine institutional-grade data with AI-powered insights.

Risks

  • Elevated declines in major technology stocks - including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS - increase downside risk for sector performance and could pressure broader index returns.
  • Wider market participation in selling, indicated by a large number of declines on the NSE and BSE, increases uncertainty around near-term market direction.
  • Rising implied volatility as measured by India VIX, alongside weakening commodity prices and FX movements, could amplify short-term volatility for equity and commodity-exposed sectors.

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