Nifty hits 2026 low as sell-off deepens; all sectoral indices end in red

Benchmark indices S&P BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 extended their sell-off on Thursday, with the Nifty 50 touching its lowest level of 2026 as a broad-based decline dragged stocks across sectors lower. The Nifty fell 371.25 points, or 1.64%, to 22,231.80, after hitting an intraday low of 22,179.90. The index also marked a fresh 52-week low.

The BSE Sensex declined 1,045.46 points, or 1.44%, to 71,593.24, after touching a low of 71,327.75. The 52-week low of Sensex is, however, 71,292.88.

The sell-off came a day after the Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% and shifted its policy stance from neutral to “calibrated tightening”. Rising crude oil prices and continued foreign investor selling added to the pressure on equities. Brent crude jumped nearly 5% on Thursday and was hovering above $104 per barrel at the time of reporting.

All sectoral indices end lower

The decline was broad-based, with all sectoral indices ending in the red. Metal, realty, oil and gas, auto, healthcare and pharma stocks were among the worst hit.

The broader market also saw heavier selling. Mid-cap and small-cap stocks underperformed the benchmark indices, reflecting a wider risk-off move rather than a correction limited to large-cap stocks.

Among Nifty constituents, Adani Enterprises was the biggest loser, falling 5.36%, followed by JSW Steel (-4.46%) and ITC (-4.03%). Max Healthcare fell 3.81%, while IndiGo and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles declined 3.55% and 3.53%, respectively.

Power Grid, Shriram Finance, Apollo Hospitals, BEL, Eicher Motors, Eternal, Asian Paints, SBI Life and Jio Financial were among the other major losers.

Foreign institutional investors remained heavy sellers. FIIs sold ₹6,121.37 crore worth of Indian equities on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors bought ₹4,596.57 crore, according to exchange data. Continued FII outflows, a weaker rupee and elevated US bond yields have added to the pressure on Indian equities.

The RBI’s rate hike has also raised concerns over valuations and liquidity. The central bank has indicated that rate cuts are off the table in the near term, with future policy action dependent on evolving conditions.