Sensex, Nifty extend gains for 3rd day; Anthropic-led selloff drags IT index down 5%
Among sectoral indices, the BSE Oil & Gas index surged 2.37% to close at 29,023.80, while the BSE Utilities climbed 2.72% to settle at 5,331.13. Meanwhile, the BSE IT index tumbled 5.49% to end at 35,109.51, tracking global IT sector concern over Anthropic's new AI tool.
- Feb 4, 2026,
- Updated Feb 4, 2026 4:12 PM IST
Domestic equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty extended their winning run to a third consecutive session on Wednesday, building on the momentum from the previous day’s sharp rally. Investor sentiment remained positive on optimism surrounding the India–US trade agreement, under which tariffs on Indian exports were slashed to 18% from the earlier 50%, easing a key overhang on the markets.
At close, 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. The 50-pack index defended the 25,650-25,700 support zone, but encountered supply near 25,800-25,850, where selling pressure limited the upside, said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.
Eternal emerged as top gainer on the Sensex, rising 5.22% to Rs 294.25. Trent followed with a 5.13% jump, while NTPC, Adani Ports, Power Grid and Maruti Suzuki advanced 2.44%, 2.36%, 2.15% and 1.74%, respectively.
Five stocks, namely, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, Eternal, Bharti Airtel and HDFC Bank, contributed heavily to the Sensex’s rise. “A sustained breakout above this resistance could lead to further upside towards 26,000+. Overall, the market lacked a strong directional trigger, with buying emerging on declines and selling seen on rallies. RSI near 55 reflects balanced momentum, while MACD did not sustain a strong bullish crossover after the gap-up. A clear breakout or breakdown from the current range will be key for the next directional move,” Ponmudi said. Sectoral trends were mixed, with buying seen in auto, metal, and energy stocks, while the IT index fell sharply and underperformed the overall market, said Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd.
Among sectoral indices, the BSE Oil & Gas index surged 2.37% to close at 29,023.80, while the BSE Utilities climbed 2.72% to settle at 5,331.13. Meanwhile, the BSE IT index tumbled 5.49% to end at 35,109.51, tracking global IT sector concern over Anthropic's new AI tool.
In the BSE 200 index, shares of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, APL Apollo Tubes, Ashok Leyland, Bharat Forge, GE Vernova T&D India, Jindal Steel and Oil India hit their fresh 52-week high on BSE.
Market breadth remained positive on the BSE. Of the 4,366 actively traded stocks, 2,708 ended in the green, while a dominant 1,497 declined and 161 settled unchanged. The session saw 89 stocks scaling fresh 52-week highs, compared with 90 counters sliding to new 52-week lows. In addition, 224 scrips were locked at their upper circuits, whereas 134 hit lower circuit limits. “Sentiment stayed cautious amid mixed global cues and some profit booking following the recent relief rally. Weakness in global technology stocks weighed on domestic IT counters, leading to sectoral divergence. At the same time, optimism surrounding the India–US trade agreement and expectations of improved foreign participation continued to support cyclical stocks and select heavyweight names,” Mishra said.
Domestic equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty extended their winning run to a third consecutive session on Wednesday, building on the momentum from the previous day’s sharp rally. Investor sentiment remained positive on optimism surrounding the India–US trade agreement, under which tariffs on Indian exports were slashed to 18% from the earlier 50%, easing a key overhang on the markets.
At close, 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. The 50-pack index defended the 25,650-25,700 support zone, but encountered supply near 25,800-25,850, where selling pressure limited the upside, said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.
Eternal emerged as top gainer on the Sensex, rising 5.22% to Rs 294.25. Trent followed with a 5.13% jump, while NTPC, Adani Ports, Power Grid and Maruti Suzuki advanced 2.44%, 2.36%, 2.15% and 1.74%, respectively.
Five stocks, namely, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, Eternal, Bharti Airtel and HDFC Bank, contributed heavily to the Sensex’s rise. “A sustained breakout above this resistance could lead to further upside towards 26,000+. Overall, the market lacked a strong directional trigger, with buying emerging on declines and selling seen on rallies. RSI near 55 reflects balanced momentum, while MACD did not sustain a strong bullish crossover after the gap-up. A clear breakout or breakdown from the current range will be key for the next directional move,” Ponmudi said. Sectoral trends were mixed, with buying seen in auto, metal, and energy stocks, while the IT index fell sharply and underperformed the overall market, said Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd.
Among sectoral indices, the BSE Oil & Gas index surged 2.37% to close at 29,023.80, while the BSE Utilities climbed 2.72% to settle at 5,331.13. Meanwhile, the BSE IT index tumbled 5.49% to end at 35,109.51, tracking global IT sector concern over Anthropic's new AI tool.
In the BSE 200 index, shares of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, APL Apollo Tubes, Ashok Leyland, Bharat Forge, GE Vernova T&D India, Jindal Steel and Oil India hit their fresh 52-week high on BSE.
Market breadth remained positive on the BSE. Of the 4,366 actively traded stocks, 2,708 ended in the green, while a dominant 1,497 declined and 161 settled unchanged. The session saw 89 stocks scaling fresh 52-week highs, compared with 90 counters sliding to new 52-week lows. In addition, 224 scrips were locked at their upper circuits, whereas 134 hit lower circuit limits. “Sentiment stayed cautious amid mixed global cues and some profit booking following the recent relief rally. Weakness in global technology stocks weighed on domestic IT counters, leading to sectoral divergence. At the same time, optimism surrounding the India–US trade agreement and expectations of improved foreign participation continued to support cyclical stocks and select heavyweight names,” Mishra said.