07/02/26, PostMarket REPORT

The benchmark indices SENSEX and NIFTY50 closed in the positive territory on Friday, February 6, tracking strong gains in FMCG stocks.

On Thursday, the foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold stocks worth ₹2,150.51 crore, while the domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased equities worth ₹1,129.82 crore on a net basis, according to exchange data.

The SENSEX rose as much as 687 points from the day's lowest level and the NIFTY50 index touched an intraday high of 25,703.95 after hitting a low of 25,491.90 earlier in the session.

SENSEX closed at 83,580.40, up by 266.47 points, or 0.32%, while the NIFTY50 index increased by 50.90 points, or 0.20%, to end at 25,693.70.

NIFTY50 top gainers and losers

The 50-share NIFTY index was bolstered by gains in ITC, which surged 5.21% to close at ₹327.70 apiece on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

It was followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank (3.33%), Hindustan Unilever (2.83%), Bajaj Finance (1.79%) and Bharti Airtel (1.54%), which were also among the top gainers on Friday.

Shares of Bharti Airtel gained despite reporting a 55% YoY decline in its net profit to ₹6,630 crore in Q3FY26, from ₹14,781 crore in the same period. The profit fell due to a one-time incremental amount of ₹256.8 crore caused by the implementation of the New Labour Codes. It also added that the tax credit on the above exceptional item of ₹65 crore was included under tax expense. Furthermore, the drop in profit could also be attributed to a high base in the same period a year ago, when the company reported a net exceptional gain following the reclassification of Indus Towers from associate to subsidiary.

On a sequential basis, Bharti Airtel's profit declined 2.4% from ₹6,792 crore in the previous quarter. Its average revenue per user (ARPU), a key metric of profitability of a telecom company, improved to ₹259 per user per month from ₹245 in the year-ago period

On the flipside, the top losers included HDFC Life Insurance Company (-2.40%), Tech Mahindra (-1.83%), Tata Consultancy Services (-1.71%), SBI Life Insurance Company (-1.54%), and Tata Motors PV (-1.40%).

Shares of HDFC Life Insurance Company and SBI Life Insurance Company, along with the stocks of Tech Mahindra and Tata Motors PV, constituents of the NIFTY Auto index (-0.52%), declined as the RBI Governor announced that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the repo rate unchanged. These stocks are rate-sensitive.

NIFTY Midcap 100 top gainers and losers

The NIFTY Midcap 100 index ended 0.02% or 14.40 points lower at 59,502.70 on Friday.

The midcap gauge was weighed down by selling in PB Fintech (-4.24%), Tata Technologies (-4.02%), Tata Elxsi (-3.71%), Coforge (-3.55%) and Tube Investments of India (-2.94%), which were among the top laggards of the index.

On the contrary, the top winners included Hitachi Energy India, which closed 13.81% higher as it posted a 90.3% YoY jump in profit after tax to ₹261.4 crore for Q3FY26, compared to ₹137.4 crore in the year-ago period.

Its revenue from operations climbed 28.51% to ₹2,082.21 crore in Q3 FY26, compared to ₹1,620.27 crore in the third quarter of the preceding 2024-25 financial year.

Godfrey Phillips India (9.69%), MRF (8.32%), FSN E-Commerce Ventures (7.17%) and Bharti Hexacom (4.18%) were among the other top winners.

NIFTY Smallcap 100 top gainers and losers

NSE's smallcap gauge, NIFTY Smallcap 100, settled at 16,938.65 (-0.27% or down 45.25 points).

Its top losers included BEML Ltd, which closed 6.68% lower as it posted a net loss of ₹22 crore.

It was followed by Aegis Vopak Terminals (-5.85%), Hindustan Copper (-4.79%), Aptus Value Housing Finance India (-4.31%) and PCBL Chemical (-3.62%).

On the other hand, Poonawalla Fincorp (7.55%), Data Patterns (7.19%), Mahanagar Gas (6.29%), Aster DM Healthcare (5.13%) and Amber Enterprises India (3.59%) were among the top gainers on February 6.

Report by Upstox 

06/02/26, Bharti Airtel Share Price Target:

Analysts at global brokerage Morgan Stanley have reiterated their 'overweight' rating on the second-largest telecom firm -- Bharti Airtel -- following the company's Q3 results.

They have expected a gain of more than 20 per cent, citing strong operational performance, improving cash flows and sustained momentum in India operations.

The brokerage said Airtel's EBITDA beat estimates, driven primarily by robust performance in the India business. It highlighted that India mobile subscriber additions exceeded expectations, supported by lower churn, indicating improving customer quality and retention trends.

Morgan Stanley also flagged strong traction in Airtel's homes (broadband and fixed-line) business, which delivered healthy user growth and EBITDA expansion, strengthening the company's diversified revenue profile.

On the financial side, the brokerage noted a sharp improvement in operating free cash flow -- aided by lower capital expenditure -- while net debt declined significantly, reflecting strong internal cash generation and a healthier balance sheet.

Q3 performance highlights

Bharti Airtel reported a sharp 55 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 6,630.5 crore for the quarter ended December 2025, compared with Rs 14,781.2 crore in the year-ago period.

However, the topline remained strong. The company's revenue from operations rose 19.6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 53,982 crore, up from Rs 45,129.3 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, reflecting sustained growth in core telecom and digital services.

Bharti Airtel Share Price Target

The brokerage has recommended buying the leading telecom stock for a target of Rs 2435, implying a gain of 22.23 per cent from Thursday's closing.

Telecom stock trades higher

The Bharti Airtel stock on Friday jumped more than 1 per cent to Rs 2018, hitting an intraday high in the morning session, on the BSE.

Bharti Airtel stock vs BSE Sensex: Past performance

Bharti Airtel's share price has seen mixed performance across timeframes, which reflected volatility in the short term but created wealth for investors in the long-term horizon.

Over the past month, the stock has declined by 4.89 per cent. However, the stock has gained by around 4 per cent over the last six months. On a longer horizon, the telecom stock has risen 23.68 per cent over the past year

Over a five-year period, Bharti Airtel shares have delivered exceptional returns of over 250 per cent.

Duration	Bharti Airtel (%)	Sensex (%)
1 Month	-4.89	-2.32
YTD	-5.07	-2.47
3 Months	-4.37	-0.27
6 Months	3.8	3.16
1 Year	23.68	6.44
2 Years	76.6	15.1
3 Years	153.74	37.32
5 Years	250.93	63.78
10 Years	623.51	237.52

(Disclaimer: The above article is meant for informational purposes only, and should not be considered as any investment advice.)

source: Economic Times

06/02/26, RBI Credit Policy meet

 RBI MPC Meeting Live Updates: RBI tweaks NBFC rules, removes VRR cap; finalises revised ECB norms

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced a set of regulatory moves aimed at easing compliance for low-risk entities, while tightening oversight where scale could amplify risk.

For NBFCs that do not access public funds and have no customer interface, the RBI is proposing to exempt them from the requirement of registration—a move that could reduce regulatory burden for entities with limited systemic or consumer impact.

At the same time, the RBI signalled closer scrutiny of rapid physical expansion. Malhotra said certain NBFCs will need prior approval to open more than 1,000 branches, indicating a higher supervisory bar for large footprint growth.

On foreign portfolio flows, the Governor said the RBI proposes to remove the Rs 2.5 lakh crore limit under the Voluntary Retention Route (VRR), effectively lifting the cap on investments through this route.

He also said the revised draft regulations on external commercial borrowings (ECB), which were issued earlier, have now been finalised.

06/02/26, Salem of Tamilnadu/Political News

Salem: In a setback to actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) ahead of the Assembly elections, the Salem City Police have rejected the party's petition seeking permission to hold a “Vijay Makkal Iyakkam” campaign meeting in the city.

The police cited non-compliance with the Tamil Nadu government's official guidelines for organizing public gatherings as the reason for the denial.

The rejection: Failure to follow protocol on crowd size and advance notice

The TVK's Central District Secretary, Tamilan Parthiban, along with other functionaries, had applied for permission to use the Thalamuthu Natarajan ground in Seelanaickenpatti for the public meeting. However, after inspecting the venue, the police returned the petition. Salem City Police Commissioner Anil Kumar Giri clarified that the application did not adhere to mandated protocols, such as applying 10 days in advance for an expected crowd of 5,000 and providing detailed arrangements if more attendees were anticipated.

He also emphasized the need for a Public Works Department certification on the venue's suitability for large gatherings.

With the petition officially rejected and returned, the planned campaign event in Salem is now expected to be delayed. The party will need to resubmit a fresh application in full compliance with the state's guidelines to secure permission for a future date.

Report by News9

06/02/26, Stock Turing Ex Date Today: Several ex-dividend stocks, demerger stock today, and companies executing other corporate actions are in focus, offering investors opportunities to receive dividends, stock splits, or other benefits.

The ex-date is the key date when a stock starts trading without the benefit of the announced dividend or corporate action. To be eligible for the dividend, investors must hold the stock before the ex-date.

On February 6, 2026, the total dividend payout across all companies turning ex-date is approximately Rs 138.50 per share. Accelya Solutions India Ltd offers the highest dividend of Rs 45.00, while Steelcast Ltd provides the lowest dividend of Rs 0.45.

Here's the FULL LIST of stocks turning ex date today:

Company Name	Purpose	Ex Date
Accelya Solutions India Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 45	06 Feb 2026
ACME Solar Holdings Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 0.2	06 Feb 2026
Amrutanjan Health Care Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 1	06 Feb 2026
B2B Software Technologies Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 1	06 Feb 2026
Clean Science and Technology Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 2	06 Feb 2026
Control Print Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 4	06 Feb 2026
Genus Power Infrastructures Ltd	Spin Off	06 Feb 2026
Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 1.15	06 Feb 2026
Indus Infra Trust	Income Distribution (InvIT)	06 Feb 2026
Insecticides (India) Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 2	06 Feb 2026
Manappuram Finance Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 0.5	06 Feb 2026
Manba Finance Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 0.25	06 Feb 2026
National Aluminium Company Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 4.5	06 Feb 2026
Nestle India Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 7	06 Feb 2026
NTPC Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 2.75	06 Feb 2026
Omega Interactive Technologies Ltd	Stock Split From Rs 10/- to Rs 1/-	06 Feb 2026
Quess Corp Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 5	06 Feb 2026
REC Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 4.6	06 Feb 2026
Sharda Cropchem Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 6	06 Feb 2026
Shriram Pistons & Rings Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 5	06 Feb 2026
SIS Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 7	06 Feb 2026
SMC Global Securities Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 0.6	06 Feb 2026
Steelcast Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 0.45	06 Feb 2026
Sundaram Finance Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 16	06 Feb 2026
TCI Express Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 7	06 Feb 2026
Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 1.5	06 Feb 2026
Veedol Corporation Ltd	Interim Dividend - Rs 14	06 Feb 2026

Genus Power Infrastructures Ltd is undergoing a Demerger (Spin-off), Omega Interactive Technologies Ltd is executing a stock split, and Indus Infra Trust is declaring an income distribution

• A dividend is a portion of a company's profits paid to shareholders, usually in cash, as a reward for holding the stock. Interim dividends are announced and paid before the end of the financial year.

• A stock split increases the number of shares by reducing the face value, making the stock more affordable and improving liquidity. The company's overall market value remains unchanged.

• A spin-off (demerger)occurs when a company separates a business unit into a new, independent entity. Existing shareholders receive shares of the new company in proportion to their holdings.

What is an Ex-Date?

The ex-date is the day a stock starts trading without the benefit of a declared dividend, stock split, or spin-off. Investors must buy the stock before the ex-date to be eligible for the corporate action.

source: Economic Times 

(Disclaimer: The above article is meant for informational purposes only, and should not be considered as any investment advice)

06/02/26, Share Market Today

 The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are expected to open lower on Friday, following a sell-off in global markets, and ahead of the RBI monetary policy.

Asian markets traded lower, while the US stock market plunged overnight, dragged by heavy selling technology stocks.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will announce its February monetary policy later today. The RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra-led Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is widely expected to keep repo rates unchanged at 5.25%.

On Thursday, the Indian stock market ended lower amid selling across sectors, as investors opted for profit-booking.

The Sensex declined 503.76 points, or 0.60%, to close at 83,313.93, while the Nifty 50 settled 133.20 points, or 0.52%, lower at 25,642.80.

"The markets are expected to track global developments, macroeconomic data, and the ongoing Q3 earnings season over the near term," said Siddhartha Khemka - Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Here are key global market cues for Sensex today:

Asian Markets

Asian markets traded lower on Friday, following overnight losses on Wall Street. Japan's Nikkei 225 declined 1.22% and the Topix fell 0.74%. South Korea's Kospi dropped 3.86%, while the Kosdaq plunged 5.26%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index futures indicated a lower opening.

Gift Nifty Today

Gift Nifty was trading around 25,585 level, a discount of nearly 140 points from the Nifty futures' previous close, indicating a negative start for the Indian stock market indices.

Wall Street

US stock market ended sharply lower on Thursday, with the Nasdaq falling to its lowest since November, dragged by losses in Microsoft, Amazon and other tech heavyweights.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.20% to 48,908.72, while the S&P 500 plunged 1.23% to end the session at 6,798.40. The Nasdaq closed 1.59% lower at 22,540.59.

Nvidia stock price dropped 1.37%, Microsoft share price tanked 4.95%, AMD shares declined 3.84%, Alphabet shares fell 0.6%, Palantir stock price slipped 6.8%, Oracle shares plunged 7% and Qualcomm slid 8.5%. Tesla stock price declined 2.17%, while Amazon shares lost 4.4% during regular trading and then tumbled another 10% after the closing bell.

US Job Openings

US job openings dropped to the lowest level in more than five years in December. Job openings, a measure of labor demand, decreased by 386,000 to 6.542 million by the last day of December, the lowest level since September 2020, JOLTS report showed. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 7.20 million unfilled jobs. Hiring increased by 172,000 positions to a still-low 5.293 million in December.

ECB Policy

The European Central Bank kept policy rates unchanged for the fifth consecutive meeting, with its key interest rate at 2%. The euro zone's central bank has been on hold since ending a year-long run of rate cuts in June. ECB acknowledged continued uncertainties around global trade policy and geopolitical tensions but said an updated assessment still saw inflation stabilising at its 2% target in the medium term.

Bank of England Policy

The Bank of England kept interest rates on hold in a narrow 5-4 vote, and said borrowing costs are likely to fall if an expected drop soon in inflation is sustained. Despite a big cut to its economic growth forecast this year along with a rise in unemployment, the BoE left its benchmark rate at 3.75%, as expected in a Reuters poll of economists.

Dollar

The US dollar steadied near a two-week high on Friday, poised for its strongest weekly performance since November. The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six other units, was at 97.961, hovering near the highest since January 23, Reuters reported. The index is set for a 1% increase for the week. The euro was at $1.1784, Sterling was nursing steep losses and stood at $1.3520 after dropping nearly 1% in the previous session. The yen rose to 156.74.

Gold Prices

Gold and silver extended losses on a strong US dollar. Spot gold price declined 0.7% to $4,735.99 per ounce, after a near 4% drop on Thursday. US gold futures for April delivery fell 2.8% to $4,752.40 per ounce. Spot silver price fell 3.2% to $68.97 an ounce after a 19.1% drop in the previous session.

Bitcoin Prices

Bitcoin price tumbled below $61,000 as broader market turbulence deepened a selloff. The token sank as much as 4.8% to $60,033 to plunge to its lowest since October 2024.

Crude Oil Prices

Crude oil prices extended their decline, on track for their first weekly drop in weeks, as supply concerns eased, while focus remained on the outcome of US-Iran nuclear talks. Brent crude futures dropped 0.74% to $67.05 a barrel after settling 2.75% lower in the previous session. US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $62.77 a barrel, down 0.82%, after closing 2.84% lower on Thursday.

source:Mint (with inputs from Reuters) 

05/02/26, Stock Market Outlook Today, 5 February 2026: Nifty, Sensex Prediction For Thursday Trading Session

 Indian equity markets are expected to remain cautious but firm on Thursday, February 5, 2026, as investors navigate a mix of global uncertainty, sector-specific volatility and key upcoming policy events.

After a highly volatile session on February 4, brokerages believe the near-term trend for the Sensex and Nifty will hinge on global cues, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) monetary policy decision and further clarity on the recently announced India-US trade deal.

On Wednesday, benchmark indices closed slightly in the green despite sharp intraday swings. The Sensex rose 78.56 points, or 0.09%, to settle at 83,817.69, while the Nifty gained 48.45 points, or 0.19%, to end at 25,776. Broader markets outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap index climbing around 0.6% and the Smallcap index rising over 1%.

However, overall upside was capped by a steep sell-off in IT stocks. The Nifty IT index plunged nearly 6% amid concerns that new AI-based automation tools, particularly following Anthropic's latest workplace productivity launch, could disrupt traditional outsourcing demand. The weakness in IT mirrored overnight losses in US technology stocks and had ripple effects across global markets.

Sectoral Trends: IT, Metals, Oil and Gas Shares in Focus

While IT stocks weighed heavily on sentiment, several other sectors provided support. Auto, energy, consumer durables, PSU, metals, oil and gas, power and realty stocks posted gains of 1-2%. Consumer durables and oil and gas emerged as top performers, rising 2.7% and 2% respectively, while metals and auto stocks also advanced over 1%.

According to Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research (Wealth Management) at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, markets are currently consolidating after the recent rally driven by optimism over the India-US trade agreement. "Indian equities consolidated on Wednesday as investors await further clarity on the Indo-US trade deal and look forward to the RBI's interest rate decision due on Friday," he said.

Khemka added that while AI-related concerns have triggered a sharp correction in IT stocks globally, the long-term impact on Indian IT companies is expected to be limited. He also noted that earnings so far for the December quarter have broadly been in line with expectations, and recent trade agreements with the US and the EU could support sector- and stock-specific opportunities going forward.

Nifty Prediction Today, February 5, 2026

Bajaj Broking Research expects the Nifty to remain in a consolidation phase with a positive bias, provided key support levels hold. "The index formed a small bullish candle with shadows on either side, signaling consolidation with stock-specific action," the brokerage said.

It identified immediate support for the Nifty around the 25,450 level, which coincides with the previous week's high and the 20-day exponential moving average (EMA). "Holding above this support will keep the bias positive and could open the upside towards 26,000 and 26,350 levels in the coming sessions," Bajaj Broking noted.

The brokerage cautioned that volatility is likely to stay elevated due to uncertain global cues and the RBI policy announcement. However, it advised investors to use any near-term correction as an opportunity. "Pullbacks from current levels should be viewed as buy-on-dips, with strong support placed around the 25,000-25,200 zone," it said, pointing to the confluence of the 200-day EMA and a key retracement level.

Bank Nifty Outlook

For Bank Nifty, Bajaj Broking highlighted a similar consolidation pattern. "Bank Nifty formed a high-wave candle with a small real body, indicating consolidation amid stock-specific action," the report said.

Immediate support is seen in the 59,500-59,200 range, which aligns with the 20-day and 50-day EMAs. As long as the index holds above this zone, the brokerage believes the bias will remain positive, with potential upside towards 60,800 and 61,700 in the near term. On the downside, strong short-term support is placed between 58,500 and 58,000.

Report by Harshika Yadav of  goodreturns.in

Disclaimer: All information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should be independently verified from licensed financial advisors before making any investment decisions.

05/02/26, Stocks to Watch Today: Indian stock markets are set for an active session today as Q3 results, corporate announcements and IPO updates keep stocks to watch today firmly in focus.

 Key names in the spotlight include Apollo Tyres, Tata Power, Bajaj Holdings, Force Motors, NHPC and Trent after mixed Q3 earnings performance.

Corporate action remains strong with Coal India, Ashok Leyland, Marico, Zydus Lifesciences, HCLTech, Pidilite Industries and Power Grid Corporation making important announcements. Meanwhile, Aye Finance IPO and Fractal Analytics IPO add momentum to primary market activity, shaping today's market outlook and stock-specific movement.

Here's the list of stocks in focus today:

Company	Q3 Profit (Rs crore)	YoY Profit Change	Q3 Revenue (Rs crore)	YoY Revenue Change
Apollo Tyres	470.5	+39.5%	7,743.1	+11.8%
Bajaj Holdings & Investment	2,016.2	+15.3%	287.5	+127.6%
Cummins India	486.0	−13.0%	3,054.9	−1.3%
Force Motors	406.1	+252.1%	2,128.6	+12.7%
Keystone Realtors	3.4	−77.6%	266.2	−42.6%
Lloyds Engineering Works	61.0	+70.9%	272.5	+2.3%
NHPC	219.1	−5.2%	2,220.7	−2.9%
Tata Power Company	1,194.3	+0.6%	13,948.4	−9.4%
Trent	510.1	+2.7%	5,345.0	+14.8%
Welspun Enterprises	26.7	−65.5%	787.0	−12.2%

Corporate Announcement

Coal India

Board Clears Chile Holding Company Plan

Coal India Limited's board has approved the setting up of an intermediate holding company in Chile to explore opportunities in critical minerals, including lithium and copper. The development comes as India and Chile move closer to finalising a free trade agreement, PTI reported.

Ashok Leyland

Pact Signed with PT Pindad

Ashok Leyland, the flagship company of the Hinduja Group, has signed an agreement with Indonesia's state-owned defence and industrial equipment manufacturer PT Pindad. The partnership will focus on the joint development of electric buses and defence vehicles.

Marico

Strategic Investment in Cosmix Wellness

Marico has entered into definitive agreements to make a strategic investment in Cosmix Wellness, which owns the Cosmix brand, a digital-first functional wellness brand in India.

Zydus Lifesciences

Approval Received for US Market

Zydus Lifesciences has received approval from the US health regulator to market a generic diabetes drug in the United States.

ACME Solar Holdings

New Process Transformation Head

ACME Solar Holdings has announced the appointment of Rahul Kaushik as Head of Process Transformation.

HCLTech

Chosen by HAESL for Operations Upgrade

Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Limited has selected HCLTech to modernise its maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.

Pidilite Industries

US Exports Seen Recovering

Pidilite Industries said it expects a recovery in its US exports, which slowed during the third quarter of FY26, following the India-US tariff revision. The comments were made by Managing Director Sudhanshu Vats and reported by PTI.

Power Grid Corporation

MCA Sanctions Subsidiary Merger

Power Grid Corporation of India said the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has approved the amalgamation of 17 subsidiaries into two subsidiaries.

IPO in Focus

Aye Finance IPO: Issue Opens February 9

The Aye Finance IPO is a book-built issue of Rs 1,010 crores, comprising a fresh issue and an offer for sale. The issue opens for subscription on February 9 and is expected to list on February 16. The grey market premium stands at Rs 5, indicating an estimated listing price of Rs 134 at the upper end of the price band.

Fractal Analytics IPO: Issue Size Reduced

The Fractal Analytics IPO is a book-built issue of Rs 2,833.90 crores, with the issue size recently reduced. The IPO will follow the same timeline as the Aye Finance IPO. The price band is Rs 857 to Rs 900 per share. The grey market premium ranges between Rs 105 and Rs 180.

source: Economic Times

04/02/26, PostMarket REPORT

The Indian equity benchmarks ended higher for a third straight session on Wednesday, February 4, powered by gains in index heavyweights like Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, Eternal, Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro and Trent.

However, gains were capped owing to selling pressure in IT heavyweights like Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra after Anthropic's latest AI offering raised concerns about the future of technology companies, analysts noted.

The SENSEX ended 79 points higher at 83,818 and NIFTY50 index advanced 48 points to close at 25,776.

IT shares witnessed intense selling pressure on Wednesday. The measure of IT stocks on the National Stock Exchange, NIFTY IT index, dropped nearly 6% as Anthropic's latest artificial intelligence (AI) offering sent a wave of sell-offs in technology shares across the world.

Overnight, in the United States, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index dropped 1.43% as investors reacted sharply to new developments around Anthropic's new AI products, especially tools that threaten the business models of established software, legal, and data companies, reports suggested.

Anthropic released new AI plug-ins/extensions for its Claude Cowork agent, which can automate tasks in legal, sales, marketing, compliance and data analysis - areas traditionally serviced by expensive, licensed software companies.

These tools directly compete with incumbents such as legal research platforms, analytics databases, and professional-services software. That raised fears that AI could displace high-margin, long-term subscription revenue, as per news reports.

Shares of Infosys, the country's second largest IT company, plunged as much as 8.81%, its biggest single day decline in six years, to hit an intraday low of ₹1,510 wiping out ₹56,000 crore from its market capitalisation.

Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra and Wipro were also among the top losers in the NIFTY50 index.

On the flipside, Trent was top gainer in the NIFTY50 index, the stock ended 5.18% higher at ₹4,021 ahead of its earnings announcement.

Eternal, ONGC, NTPC, Adani Ports, Power Grid and Max Healthcare also rose between 1,89%-4.9%.

Among the individual shares, Sheela Foam rose as much as 20% to hit an intraday high of ₹628.30 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) after its profit more than doubled in December quarter.

Sheela Foam, post market hours on Tuesday, reported standalone net profit of ₹39 crore in the third quarter current financial year (Q3FY26), marking an increase of 129% from ₹17 crore in the same period last year.

The Noida-based company's revenue from operations rose 8% to ₹842 crore in October-December period from ₹781 crore in the year-ago period.

On the sectoral front, twelve of 15 sector gauges compiled by the NSE ended higher led by the NIFTY Consumer Durables index's 2.66% gain. NIFTY Metal, Auto, PSU Bank, Realty and Oil & Gas indices also rose between 0.77%-2%.

On the other hand, IT, pharma and healthcare stocks faced selling pressure.

Broader markets outperformed their larger peers as NIFTY Midcap 100 index advanced 0.63% and NIFTY Smallcap 100 index climbed 1.27%.

The overall market breadth was positive as 2,153 shares ended higher while 1,048 closed lower on the NSE.

Source:Upstox

courtesy:Dailyhunt

Disclaimer: This article is purely for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

04/02/26, Rekha Jhunjhunwala portfolio: The Indian stock market has been on an uptrend after the announcement of the most-awaited India-US trade deal. The key benchmark index, Nifty 50, almost hit a new peak on Tuesday, rising to 26,341. The Indian indices are also on the higher side on Wednesday.

 In these two days of a positive trend, ace Indian investor Rekha Jhunjhunwala's portfolio also saw a big upside. In just two days, one of Rekha Jhunjhunwala's portfolio stocks, Titan Company shares, have surged from ₹3,953.20 to ₹4,135.10 apiece on the NSE, logging a gain of ₹181.90 in the two sessions. This ₹181.90 per share rise in this Tata Group's jewellery stock has fueled Rekha Jhunjhunwala's net worth by around ₹858 crore.

Interestingly, LIC also owns 2,23,24,301 Titan Company shares, and the insurance behemoth of India has earned around ₹406 crore from the rally in this jewellery stock after the announcement of the India-US trade deal.

Rise in Rekha Jhunjhunwala's net worth

According to the shareholding pattern of Titan Company Ltd for the October to December 2025 quarter, Rekha Jhunjhunwala owns company shares in her personal capacity. She owns 4,71,84,470 Titan Company shares, representing 5.31% of the company's paid-up capital.

After the announcement of the India-US trade deal, which is expected to benefit gems and jewellery stocks, Titan's share price skyrocketed from ₹3953.20 per share on the NSE to ₹4135.10, logging a net rise of ₹181.90 per share.

As Rekha Jhunjhunwala owns 4,71,84,470 Titan Company shares, the total rise in Rekha Jhunjhunwala's net worth due to the rise in Tata Company shares is ₹8,58,28,55,093 or around ₹858 crore ( ₹181.90 x 4,71,84,470).

LIC earns over ₹406 crore

It would be interesting to know that the Indian insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) also owns shares in Titan Company. According to Titan Company Ltd's shareholding pattern for the Q3FY26 quarter, LIC owns 2,23,24,301 Titan shares. As the Titan share price rose by ₹181.90 per share, the net rise in LIC's portfolio due to this Tata Group's jewellery stock is ₹406 crore ( ₹181.90 x 2,23,24,301)

source: Mint; 

courtesy: Dailyhunt

04/02/26, Shares of Infosys, the country's second-largest information technology (IT) services company, posted their worst day in nearly six years on Wednesday, February 4, mirroring losses in other IT stocks after Anthropic's latest AI offering raised concerns about the future of technology companies, analysts noted.

 Infosys stock dropped as much as 8.38%, its biggest single-day fall since March 16, 2020, to hit an intraday low of ₹1,517 on the National Stock Exchange. With today's fall in Infosys, its market capitalisation dropped by ₹56,000 crore to ₹6.15 lakh crore at the day's lowest level, data from stock exchanges showed.

Anthropic's latest artificial intelligence (AI) offering sent a wave of sell-offs in technology shares across the world.

Overnight, in the United States, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index dropped 1.43% as investors reacted sharply to new developments around Anthropic's new AI products, especially tools that threaten the business models of established software, legal, and data companies, reports suggested.

Anthropic released new AI plug-ins/extensions for its Claude Cowork agent, which can automate tasks in legal, sales, marketing, compliance and data analysis - areas traditionally serviced by expensive, licensed software companies.

These tools directly compete with incumbents such as legal research platforms, analytics databases, and professional-services software. That raised fears that AI could displace high-margin, long-term subscription revenue, as per news reports.

Back home, the measure of IT shares on the National Stock Exchange, the NIFTY IT index, dropped as much as 6.35% to hit an intraday low of 36,160.20.

All 10 shares in the NIFTY IT index were trading lower, led by Persistent Systems' over 6.5% fall. LTI Mindtree, Coforge, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Mphasis and Tata Consultancy Services also dropped between 5% and 8%.

Mid- and small-cap IT shares were also facing selling pressure as the NIFTY MIDSMALL IT & TELECOM index dropped 3.56%. 16 of twenty stocks in the index were trading lower, led by Hexaware Technologies' 5% fall. Sonata Software, Birlasoft, Oracle Financial Services, Zensar Technologies, KPIT Technologies and Cyient also fell between 2.5% and 5%.

source: Upstox 

Disclaimer: This article is purely for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

04/02/26, After finishing near record-high levels on Monday, the US markets clawed back all the gains and closed sharply lower on Tuesday. The tech-heavy NASDAQ index fell 1.4% on Tuesday as investors rotated towards more cyclical stocks and away from highly valued chip stocks like Nvidia, Micron and AMD. The Dow Jones and S&P500 fell 0.3% and 0.8% on Tuesday

Anthropic led rout in software stocks

On the stock-specific front, Anthropic launched a new AI tool to automate corporate and legal workflows. The new tool is expected to disrupt the traditional workflow automation by software companies. Following this, the software companies like Cognizant, Gartner, Accenture, and EPAM fell 10% to 25% on Tuesday. The ADRs of Infosys and Wipro also plunged up to 6% on Tuesday.

Geopolitcal tensions

On the geopolitical front, the US Navy shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea, increasing the risk of a faceoff between the two nations. The diplomatic stocks are scheduled to take place later this week. Following the development, the crude oil prices jumped over 1.5% on Tuesday. The Brent crude oil prices traded half a percent higher on Wednesday morning at $68 per barrel.

Gold and Silver

The gold prices climbed back above the $5000 mark in the global markets as geopolitical tensions continued to drive the safe-haven demand after a massive selloff over the weekend. Gold prices jumped from $4,650 per ounce to $5,000 per ounce on Tuesday, and the gains were extended on Wednesday morning as well.

In other news, PayPal dropped 19.7% after reporting weaker results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also named a new CEO after it said "the pace of change and execution" over the last two years "was not in line" with the board of directors' expectations.

Pfizer fell 3.5% even though it reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The pharmaceutical company gave a forecasted range for profit in 2026 whose midpoint was below analysts' expectations.

The Walt Disney Co. slipped 0.6% after it said Josh D'Amaro, head of the company's parks business, will become its next CEO in March.

On the winning side of the market was PepsiCo, which rose 3.2% after the snack and beverage giant's profit and revenue for the latest quarter nudged past analysts' expectations. It also said it would cut prices this year on Lay's, Doritos and other snacks to try and win back inflation-weary customers.

source: Upstox (with PTI inputs)

Disclaimer: This article is purely for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

04/02/26, IT stocks: Shares of information technology (IT) stocks were trading in the deep red in the early trade on Wednesday, February 4, after a sharp decline in the technology stocks on Wall Street.

The NIFTY IT index tumbled as much as 5.99%, or 2,313.85 points, to hit the low of 36,297.90 levels, with all 10 constituents trading in negative territory.

Among individual names, LTIMindtree was down 6%, while Infosys was trading nearly 6% lower at ₹1,560.30 on the NSE. Wipro was down over 4%, and TCS was trading 5.49% lower.

What happened on Wall Street

According to news reports, tech stocks suffered a significant decline in the US trade on Wednesday as investors grew concerned that new artificial intelligence tools could disrupt established software and tech companies, eroding their pricing power and future profits.

This fear triggered heavier selling in software and cloud infrastructure stocks, especially those seen as vulnerable to AI competition.

AI heavyweights Nvidia and Microsoft each fell almost 3%. Alphabet dropped 1.2% ahead of its quarterly report on Wednesday, while Amazon declined 1.8% ahead of its Thursday report.

The Nasdaq Composite index ended 1.43% lower at 23,255.19 levels.

Concerns about Anthropic were a central factor in the tech sell-off on February 3, 2026. Investors reacted sharply to new developments around Anthropic's AI products, especially tools that threaten the business models of established software, legal, and data companies, reports added.

Anthropic is an AI company behind the Claude family of models. On and around the trading session of February 3, markets were spooked because:

• Anthropic has released new AI plug-ins/extensions for its Claude Cowork agent, which can automate tasks in legal, sales, marketing, compliance, and data analysis - areas traditionally serviced by expensive, licensed software.

• These tools directly compete with incumbents such as legal research platforms, analytics databases, and professional-services software. That raised fears that AI could displace high-margin, long-term subscription revenue, as per news reports.

Bottom Line

The tech slump on February 3 was mainly driven by AI disruption fears, mixed earnings guidance, elevated valuations, and rotation away from high-growth stocks. Risks perceived around how AI will reshape software competitiveness and profit margins aggravated selling pressure across the sector.

Indian IT companies' ADRs fall

Last seen, data showed that ADRs of Indian IT services companies saw a notable decline. Infosys' ADRs were down 5.56%, while Wipro ADR slipped 4.83%.

source:Upstox

courtesy:Dailyhunt

04/02/26, Intraday(Trading Hours) News

Sensex fell 200 points from day's high on February 4 and Nifty went below the 25,750-mark on February 4 as IT selloff weighed on the benchmark indices.

At 10:35 am on February 4, the Sensex was down 123.11 points or 0.15% at 83,616.02, and the Nifty was down 2.20 points or 0.01% at 25,725.35. About 2303 shares advanced, 1199 shares declined, and 131 shares were unchanged. Sensex's intraday high was 83,885.87 and Nifty's day's high was 25,801.8.

Here are three reasons behind market decline:

1. IT selloff
2. Shares of Indian IT majors like Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services fell up to 7% as investors fret that rapid advances in artificial intelligence could upend traditional business models.
   Anthropic PBC's launch of a new tool to help automate some legal work sank a swath of software makers and financial service providers on February 3 in the US.
   The IT selloff is capping gains from optimism over a US-India trade deal, analysts said, noting that Anthropic's tools threaten traditional outsourcing models.
   US-based Anthropic on Friday launched plug-ins for its Claude Cowork agent to automate tasks across legal, sales, marketing and data analysis, triggering a selloff in U.S. and European data analytics and software stocks and deepening concerns in India's $283-billion IT sector, whose labour-intensive model relies on deploying large workforces for client projects.
   The Nifty IT sub‑index was on track for its worst day since March 2020, with all 10 constituents in the red. Infosys led declines with a 7.3% drop.
   Other heavyweights TCS and Wipro fell 5.8% and 3.9% respectively, while HCLTech was down 5.1%.
   "The rally fuelled by the US-India trade deal will face hurdles to sustain. The IT selloff in the US yesterday will drag the Indian IT index,too, constraining the rally in the Indian market. Since valuations continue to be high there is no fundamental support for a sustained rally," said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.
   "As Indian enterprises integrate Claude for critical coding workflows, dependency on large vendor teams may decline, squeezing billable hours and margins," said Systematix Group analyst Ambrish Shah.
   Anthropic's advanced AI systems also threaten entry‑level talent pool at Indian IT firms by replacing routine development and testing tasks, he added.
   2. Investors await clarity on trade deal
   US President Donald Trump announced the trade deal on February 2 to cut tariffs to 18% from 50% in exchange for New Delhi halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers.
   Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on February 3 the two nations would share details after a "final understanding" of the deal was signed.
   "Markets are finding support short-term on de-escalation, easing US tariffs fears that had rattled sentiment, but sustainability of the rise hinges on details of the trade deal," said Dhananjay Sinha, chief executive officer and co-head of institutional equities at Systematix Corporate Services.
   3. MPC meet outcome awaited
   "A trigger from monetary policy scheduled on 6th Feb is unlikely since the MPC is expected to retain the rates and stance with a dovish tone. The economy is now in a state where a monetary stimulus is not required. So, it is likely that the MPC will wait to see the monetary transmission play out. The auto numbers on January suggest that the buoyant demand continues," said Vijayakumar.
   Expert View
   "Yesterday's 639 point rally in the market was mainly driven by FII short covering and their buying of Rs 5,236 crore in the cash market. Given the valuations, this bullish trend is likely to run out of steam. Investors should stick to fairly valued largecaps," said Vijayakumar.
3. Report by Analyst Jagannath. source: Network18