The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) will remain closed today, February 26, on account of Mahashivratri. There will be no trading in equities, derivatives, stock lending & borrowing (SLB), currency derivatives, and interest rate derivatives.
In the commodity derivatives segment, the morning session (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) will remain closed, while the evening session (5:00 PM to 11:55 PM) will be open. Regular trading will resume on February 27 (Tuesday).
Market Volatility Continues, Nifty Closes Lower for the Sixth Consecutive Session
On February 25, Indian stock markets experienced high volatility. The Nifty closed 6 points lower at 22,547.55, while the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices declined by 0.5% each. However, the Sensex managed to gain 147.71 points, closing at 74,602.12.
With this decline, the Nifty has now closed in the red for six consecutive sessions.
Top Gainers and Losers
Gainers: Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, Maruti Suzuki, and Nestlé India.
Losers: Hindalco, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Sun Pharma, Hero MotoCorp, and Trent.
Sectoral Performance:
- IT, metal, oil & gas, energy, capital goods, PSU banks, and realty sectors lost 0.5-1%.
- Auto, consumer durables, FMCG, and telecom sectors gained 0.5%.
Expert Opinions:
Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities, said,
“The index remained mostly muted, with a slight correction towards the close. Since it stayed below the 21-EMA on the hourly chart, the market sentiment favored the bears. Support is placed at 22,500, below which sentiment may worsen further. On the higher side, resistance is seen at 22,650 and in the 22,750-22,800 range. Any rise towards these resistance levels could attract selling pressure.”
Rupee Falls to 87.20 Against Dollar, Biggest Drop in Three Weeks
The Indian rupee fell sharply by 50 paise against the US dollar on Monday, closing at 87.20, compared to its previous close of 86.70.
Rahul Kalantri, VP (Commodities) at Mehta Equities, said,
“The Indian rupee weakened by more than half a percent against the US dollar on Monday, marking its biggest intraday drop in the past three weeks. Despite a minor recovery, it remained weak below the 87.20 level.”
“The decline was triggered by US President Donald Trump’s statement on tariffs related to Mexico and Canada, which strengthened the dollar. Additionally, fresh sell-offs in domestic equity markets by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) added pressure on the rupee. We expect continued volatility, with the rupee trading in the 86.65-87.70 range this week.”
Conclusion
The stock market will remain closed today due to Mahashivratri. Market volatility continues, with Nifty closing lower for the sixth straight session and the rupee under pressure. Investors are advised to remain cautious in the coming days.
