Sensex fell by 1939 points; Nifty ends at 14,529

Domestic equity benchmarks slumped on Friday, February 26, 2021, led by broad-based selling pressure. The S&P BSE Sensex slumped 1939.32 points or 3.80 per cent to 49,099.99. The Nifty 50 index tumbled 568.20 points or 3.76 per cent to 14,529.15. The Nifty Bank fell 1,745.40 points or 4.78 per cent to end at 34,803.60.

The broader market at BSE index also declined. The BSE Mid-Cap index fell 1.75 per cent while the BSE Small-Cap index appreciated 0.42 per cent.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1061 shares rose and 1850 shares fell. On the Nifty 50 index, all 50 shares declined. The top five losers on Nifty 50 were ONGC (down 6.64 per cent), M&M (down 6.53 per cent), Power Grid (down 6.46 per cent), JSW Steel (down 6.35 per cent) and Hero MotoCorp (down 6.33 per cent).

The government will release the GDP numbers for the October-December quarter of the current fiscal on Friday.

COVID-19 Update

Total Covid-19 confirmed cases worldwide were at 11,30,02,186 with 25,07,624 deaths. India reported 1,55,986 active cases of Covid-19 infection and 1,56,825 deaths while 1,07,50,680 patients have been discharged, data showed.

Japan's industrial output

Japan's industrial output rose for the first time in three months in January. Official data released on Friday showed factory output advanced 4.2 per cent in January, boosted by sharp rises in production of electronic parts and general-purpose machinery, as well as a smaller increase in car output. The US economy grew at a 4.1 per cent pace in the final three months of 2020, slightly faster than first estimated, ending a year in which the overall economy, ravaged by a global pandemic, shrank more than in any year in the past seven decades. The 4.1 per cent gain in the GDP is a slight upward revision from 4 per cent growth in the first estimate released a month ago, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday.