Markets Slide 2.5% as US-Iran Tensions Escalate; Sensex Falls Below 82,000
BearishIndian markets had a difficult week, with the Sensex declining 2,033 points (-2.4%) and Nifty 50 shedding 646 points (-2.5%) to close at 25,179. The sell-off was driven by escalating US-Iran geopolitical tensions, a sharp spike in crude oil prices, persistent FII selling, and the rupee hitting fresh record lows. A single-day crash on Thursday wiped out Rs 7.5 lakh crore in investor wealth. Investor wealth eroded by Rs 16.3 lakh crore for the full week. India VIX surged 8% on Sensex derivatives expiry day.
Key Points This Week
- 1Sensex fell from 83,295 to 81,287 for the week (-2.4%), falling below the critical 82,000 mark. Nifty 50 slipped from 25,713 to 25,179, breaching the 25,200 support level.
- 2Thursday saw the sharpest single-day fall — Sensex plunged 1,236 points (-1.48%) and Nifty fell 365 points (-1.41%) as US-Iran tensions escalated and crude spiked. Rs 7.5 lakh crore wiped out in one session.
- 3Friday's close was equally brutal — Sensex down 961 points (-1.17%), Nifty below 25,200. Nifty slipped below its 200-day EMA, a bearish technical signal that sellers are in control.
- 4Adani Group stocks shed $12.5 billion in market cap during the week. Reliance Industries, TCS, and Wipro also dragged benchmarks lower. Only IT and media ended the week in green.
- 5SIP inflows in February 2026 stood at Rs 29,845 crore (15% YoY growth). January 2026 SIPs crossed Rs 31,000 crore. This consistent domestic flow is the market's strongest support pillar.
- 6February CPI inflation rose to 3.21% — an 11-month high but still within RBI's 2-6% comfort band. Industrial production growth eased to 4.8% in January vs 8% in December.
SIP Investor Advice
A 2.5% weekly fall feels uncomfortable, but perspective matters: SIP investors who continued through the 23% crash in March 2020 are sitting on 200%+ returns today. Weekly fluctuations are noise — your SIP compounds over decades, not days. February SIP inflows of Rs 29,845 crore show that millions of Indian investors understand this. Rs 16 lakh crore of wealth erosion sounds scary in headlines, but your SIP simply bought more units at discounted prices this week. That is rupee cost averaging in action.
Market data shown is illustrative/sample only. Not real-time. All information is for educational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.