Stock Market Today: Sensex 82,536, Nifty 50 Holds 25,441

RBI’s new lending rules shake broking stocks, while IT shares stay under pressure

The Indian stock market is trading cautiously today as investors react to fresh regulatory changes and last week’s selling pressure. The market is open right now, and movements are choppy. The Nifty 50 is hovering around 25,441, while the Sensex is near 82,536 in early trade. Both benchmark indices are slightly weak and moving in a narrow range as traders try to understand the bigger picture.

There is no strong direction at the moment. Buyers are selective, and sellers are active in a few sectors. Overall mood is careful, not very positive, but not in panic either.

RBI Decision Impacts Broking and Exchange Stocks

The main reason for today’s pressure is the Reserve Bank of India’s new rules on capital market lending. Over the weekend, the RBI tightened norms related to bank guarantees and funding provided to brokers for trading activities. Due to this, market participants believe trading volumes may reduce in the coming months.

As a result, shares of stock exchanges and brokerage firms are falling sharply in the morning session. BSE stock is down in the high single digits during intraday trade. Many retail broker stocks are also trading lower as investors fear that profits could be affected. This news has created uncertainty, and that is why sentiment is slightly negative today.

Technology Stocks Remain Under Pressure

IT stocks are still facing selling pressure after last week’s correction. Large technology companies are seeing heavy volumes again today. Traders are worried about the global demand outlook and valuation concerns. Due to this, the technology index is one of the weaker segments in the market at present.

Midcap and smallcap stocks are also not performing well. These segments are showing more weakness compared to large caps. It shows that investors are reducing risk and moving towards safer stocks or staying in cash for now.

Mixed Participation from Investors

Domestic institutional investors are doing selective buying, especially in banking and defensive names. However, foreign portfolio investors remain cautious. Last week, they had reduced bearish positions, but today's activity looks muted. Foreign flows are important for market direction, and right now, there is no aggressive buying from them.

Market breadth is slightly negative. More stocks are trading in red than green. This indicates that the broader market is under pressure, even though the benchmark indices are not falling sharply.

Global Cues Add to Uncertainty

Global markets are giving mixed signals. Recent data from the United States shows softer inflation numbers, which increases the hope of possible interest rate cuts later this year. But Asian markets today are trading flat to weak, so there is no strong support from the global side.

Oil prices are moving in a small range ahead of important diplomatic discussions that may impact supply. Currency movement is also stable, though the dollar remains firm. All these factors are making traders careful. Nobody wants to take big positions right now.

Technical Levels and Market Mood

From a technical point of view, Nifty is trading near an important support zone. Some analysts say that if it falls below key moving averages, more selling can come. On the other hand, if buyers defend current levels, a short covering rally may happen.

Volatility is slightly elevated. Intraday swings are visible but not very extreme. Traders are watching derivatives data closely to understand where large positions are being built. Liquidity indicators will be very important throughout the day.

Sector Specific Developments

Shares of Manappuram Finance are active after receiving regulatory clearance related to a stake transaction. In the auto space, electric vehicle companies are also in focus after recent earnings announcements. Some banking stocks are stable and helping the index to avoid a deeper fall.

At the same time, exchange-related companies are clearly under stress due to the RBI’s action. Investors are recalculating growth expectations for this financial year.

Overall View

At present, the Indian stock market is trading with a cautious tone on February 16, 2026. Nifty at 25,441 and Sensex near 82,536 show that the decline is limited, but sentiment is fragile. There is no panic selling, but confidence is not very strong either.

The rest of the session will depend on how investors react to the new regulatory framework and whether foreign funds step in. If buying interest improves, indices can recover. If pressure continues in broking and IT stocks, the market may remain weak till closing.

For now, traders are moving slowly and carefully. Today’s session experienced a large amount of cautious movement, where everybody was trying to understand what comes next.