Sensex Plunges 1,236 Points, Nifty Slips Below 25,500; as Geopolitical Tensions Escalate
- 19th February 2026
- 05:10 PM
- 2 min read
Summary
Nifty snapped its three-day rally and posted its steepest fall since Budget Day as rising geopolitical tensions weighed on the sentiments. Heavyweights including Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank were among the top contributors to the decline.Mumbai | February 19
Markets ended sharply lower on Thursday after a three-session rally, as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East led to a risk-off move across global markets. The benchmarks posted their worst single-day decline in over two weeks, with the Nifty recording its sharpest fall since Budget Day.
The BSE Sensex fell 1,236 points (1.48%) to close at 82,498, while the Nifty 50 declined 1.41% to settle at 25,454, slipping below the crucial 25,500 mark and erasing gains from the previous three sessions. During the session, the Sensex dropped as much as 1,470 points, while the Nifty touched an intraday low of 25,388.
The sell-off was broad-based, with all 30 Sensex constituents ending in the red. More than ₹7 lakh crore was wiped out from the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies during the session.
India VIX surged nearly 9%, signalling heightened volatility and rising uncertainty.
Broader Markets
Broader indices also fell sharply. The Nifty midcap index declined 1.6%, while Nifty smallcap fell 1.3%, snapping a three-day winning streak. Bank Nifty also remained under pressure, falling over 800 points to close around the 60,740 mark.
Sectoral Performance
All major sectoral indices ended lower. Realty, Auto, FMCG and Energy emerged among the worst-hit segments, while financial heavyweights also contributed significantly to the decline.IT stocks, which rose earlier in the session, reversed gains and closed 1.1% lower in a weak market.
Rising crude oil prices weighed on oil marketing companies, with IOC, BPCL and HPCL declining between 2–5%. In contrast, upstream energy companies such as ONGC and Oil India gained on expectations of improved price realisations.
Nifty Gainers and Losers
Among Nifty constituents, ONGC, HDFC Life and Hindalco managed to close in the green.
On the losing side, InterGlobe Aviation, UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, Trent, Reliance Industries and several banking heavyweights weighed on the index.
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