Equity markets opened lower on Monday, extending their losing streak as concerns over US trade policies and sustained foreign institutional selling weighed on investor sentiment. The Sensex opened at 75,641.41 compared to its previous close of 75,939.21 and is currently trading at 75,454.07, down by 485.14 points or 0.64 per cent. Similarly, the Nifty opened at 22,779.40 against its previous close and is now at 22,779.40, losing 149.85 points or 0.65 per cent.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) emerged as the top loser, dropping 4.51 per cent despite reporting over 30,000 bookings for its new electric vehicle on day one. The auto sector remained under pressure with Hero MotoCorp falling 2.27 per cent. Technology stocks also witnessed selling, with Infosys and Tech Mahindra declining 1.73 per cent and 1.61 per cent respectively.
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“The Indian stock market is underperforming this year with the Nifty delivering negative 3.4 per cent returns compared to 4.19 per cent returns in S&P 500 and 11.7 per cent returns in Europe,” said Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. “The basic reason for this underperformance is the sharp slowdown in corporate earnings this year.”
Financial stocks showed mixed performance, with Bajaj Finserv leading the gainers, up 1.24 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank gaining 0.97 per cent. Coal India, Sun Pharma, and Asian Paints also traded in the green, rising between 0.42 per cent and 0.62 per cent.
The market weakness comes amid concerns over US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy and continued Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) selling. FIIs have pulled out ₹116,556 crore in 2025 so far, putting pressure on domestic equities.
“The vulnerability of the market emphasizes the need for traders to remain vigilant,” said Sameet Chavan, Head Research at Angel One, noting that any breakdown below the 22,800-22,700 zone could trigger fresh room for decline to 22,500-22,400 levels.
In the commodities market, gold prices retreated from recent highs, with the yellow metal falling 2 per cent to $2,884 per ounce. Oil prices remained flat at $75 per barrel as traders assessed global developments.
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The US markets are closed today for Presidents’ Day holiday. Market participants will closely watch the upcoming US Federal Reserve meeting minutes and global PMI data for further direction. The Gift Nifty indicates a flat to negative opening, trading down 0.2 per cent.
“Only indications of an earnings recovery and declining dollar can reverse the weakening market trend,” added Vijayakumar, highlighting that India’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals could support a recovery in growth and earnings.
