Sensex Opens Over 100 Points Lower, Nifty Slips Below 26,000 as IT Stocks Weigh on Markets

Indian stock markets opened lower, with the Sensex dropping over 100 points and the Nifty falling below the 26,000 mark. The downturn was primarily led by significant selling pressure in IT and banking stocks, which weighed on the indices.

The Indian stock market on Tuesday (November 25) began on a sluggish note, even though global cues were fairly positive. Persistent selling pressure dragged the markets down right from the opening bell, with IT and banking heavyweights leading the fall.

Weak Start for Benchmark Indices

The Sensex slipped by 108 points to open at 85,008.93, while the Nifty dipped below the crucial 26,000 mark, beginning the day at 25,998.50.

On Monday, the indices had ended almost flat, Sensex at 84,900.71 and Nifty at 25,959.50.

The broader market didn't offer much comfort either. Midcaps were marginally in the red, while smallcaps barely held on to positive territory.

Who's Up, Who's Down?

A few stocks still managed to shine early on. BEL, HDFC Bank, SBI, Asian Paints and Eternal were among the top Sensex gainers—BEL even climbed nearly 0.83%, giving the index a much-needed push.

But tech stocks once again turned spoilsport.

Infosys, HCL Tech and Tech Mahindra were among the biggest drags, along with ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. Infosys fell around 0.54% in the opening trades, pulling the sector down with it.

Market sentiment stayed evenly split with nearly the same number of stocks rising and falling.

What Traders Should Watch Today

Market expert Shrikant Chouhan believes 26,000 on the Nifty and 85,000 on the Sensex are the levels to watch.

• As long as the indices stay below these marks, weakness may continue.
• A slip toward 25,900–25,850 (Nifty) and 84,700–84,500 (Sensex) is possible.
• A breakout above the key levels could spark a recovery towards 26,150–26,200 and 85,500–85,700.

For intraday traders, he suggests buying between 25,850–25,800, but only with a strict stop-loss at 25,700.

Gift Nifty Hinted at a Flat Start

Gift Nifty opened slightly lower at 25,987—down 21 points from its previous close—suggesting that the domestic market would likely start on a muted note, which is exactly what played out.

FIIs Sell Again, DIIs Step In

Foreign investors continued their selling streak for the second straight session, offloading Rs 4,171 crore worth of shares on November 24.

However, domestic institutions stepped up, buying Rs 4,512 crore worth of equities, preventing a deeper fall.

Asian Markets Offer Mixed Signals

Elsewhere in Asia, markets showed varied mood:

• Japan's Nikkei was almost flat.
• Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped over 170 points.
• South Korea's Kospi traded lower.
• China's Shanghai Composite gained more than 1%.