Taking Stock: Sensex, Nifty crack nearly 2% amid trade wear fears; broader markets plunge further

The mid-small cap index tanked the most, falling 2.5 and 3 percent, respectively.

The Sensex and Nifty plunged nearly 2 percent on February 28, dragged down by a broad-based sell-off as fears of a full-blown global trade war and a slowing U.S. economy unsettled investors. The rout wiped out Rs 8.8 lakh crore in market capitalization.

All 13 major sectoral indices sank deep into the red, with the BSE Smallcap and BSE Midcap indices taking a heavy hit, slipping over 2 percent each. IT and financial stocks, where foreign investors have a significant presence, contributed to half of the Nifty 50’s losses.

The fall was also fueled by US President Donald Trump's tariff announcement on February 27 that proposed 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods starting March 4, alongside an additional 10 percent duty on Chinese imports, citing the continued flow of deadly drugs into the U.S. These new tariffs will stack on top of the 10 percent levy imposed on February 4 over the fentanyl crisis, effectively raising the total duty on Chinese imports to 20 percent.

IT stocks bore the brunt of the sell-off, with the sectoral index plunging over 4 percent after U.S. jobless claims data stoked fears of an economic slowdown. The rout has deepened through the week, with the IT index sliding nearly 8 percent—far steeper than the Nifty 50’s 2 percent decline.

Banking stocks also struggled, as the Nifty Bank index dipped 0.8 percent, with 11 of its 12 constituents ending in the red.

Other sectors weren’t spared either. Nifty Auto, FMCG, PSU Bank, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, and Media indices slumped between 2-4 percent, adding to the market’s turmoil.

The mid-small cap index tanked the most, falling 2.5 and 3 percent, respectively.

As many as 908 stocks hit a 52-week low in today's session. Tata Motors from the Nifty pack plunged 4 percent to a low of Rs 623. Other names included ACC, Aarti Drugs, Aarti Industries, 5paisa, Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, and Timken.

Index	Prices	Change	Change%
Sensex	72,041.88	-1,541.34	-2.09%
Nifty 50	22,361.05	-458.55	-2.01%
Nifty Bank	50,419.95	-1,854.65	-3.55%

Nifty 50 22,361.05 -458.55 (-2.01%)

Mon, Mar 30, 2026

• 1D
• 5D
• 1M
• 3M
• 6M
• 1Y
• 2Y

Biggest Gainer	Prices	Change	Change%
Coal India	455.10	10.05	+2.26%

Biggest Loser	Prices	Change	Change%
Bajaj Finance	803.00	-40.80	-4.84%

Best Sector	Prices	Change	Change%
Nifty Metal	11137.20	-24.45	-0.22%

Worst Sector	Prices	Change	Change%
Nifty PSU Bank	7917.85	-331.60	-4.02%

So far in February, foreign institutional investors have offloaded Indian equities worth Rs 47,349 crore, while domestic institutional investors have stepped in with net purchases of Rs 52,544 crore.

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