Tuesday, 18 August 2026 – Indian stock market trading started weakly on the second trading day of the week. The Sensex and Nifty went into the red as selling pressure built up in IT and some heavyweight stocks amid mixed signals from the global market. In early trading the Sensex fell by around 257 points and the Sensex fell by 74 points. But buying is seen in some shares in the broader market.
At the time of market opening, BSE Sensex was down by 256.73 points or about 0.33 percent and was trading at 77,461.43 level. NSE Nifty fell 73.55 points or about 0.30 percent to 24,214.10. The decline of the two indices is seen becoming deeper as the selling pressure increases with the advance of preliminary trading.
But the broader market did not see a completely unidirectional decline. According to preliminary trading data, about 1,338 shares were traded with rising prices, while 977 million shares were trading with falling prices. Significant changes were seen in about 203 shares. Despite pressure on major indices, investors continued buying in some selected shares.
IT shares are most under pressure in early trading on Tuesday. Market weakness increases further as a result of sales in major IT companies. Infosys falls by about 1.41 per cent. HCL Technologies-A decline of about 0.91 percent is seen. TCS traded around 0.78 percent lower and Tech Mahindra traded around 0.66 percent lower. LTIMindtree also recorded a decline of about 0.44 percent.
Factors such as global technology sector trends, valuations and caution regarding broader market risks could be important factors behind the decline in IT shares. But the movement of these shares may change throughout the transaction phase.
Despite the fall in the market, buying is seen in some major shares. ONGC was among the top performers in early trade with a rate hike of around 0.75 per cent. Bajaj Auto saw a price increase of 0.62 percent, Nestle India saw a price increase of 0.59 percent, Grasim saw a 0.55 percent increase and Maruti saw a price increase of about 0.47 percent.
Apart from this, shares of SBI, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma, NTPC, Mahindra & Mahindra and Power Grid also showed strength in early trading.
On the other hand, Bharti Airtel fell by about 1.34 percent in early trade. IndiGo witnessed a decline of around 1.28 per cent and Max Healthcare traded down by around 1.15 per cent. Apart from this, Infosys, Asian Paints and Jio Financial Services were also under pressure. Asian Paints is seen trading down by about 1.37 percent and Jio Financial is seen trading down by about 0.74 percent.
The future course of the Indian stock market may depend on global market trends, activity of foreign investors, crude oil prices and trading in shares of major companies. Continued pressure on IT shares will be an important signal for the market.