Nifty 50, Sensex Extended Losses; India’s Manufacturing PMI Rose To A Four-Month High Of 56.9 In Feb & More
- Share.Market
- 10 min read
- 02 Mar 2026
Here’s a quick wrap-up where we break down the performance of key indices, top corporate movers, and the major economic headlines of the day.
Indian equity benchmark indices Nifty 50 and Sensex extended their losses on Monday, amid escalating US-Iran tensions. On the sectoral front, most indices ended in the red, with Nifty Metal and Nifty Pharma emerging as the only gainers.
Key Indices – Share Market
Today’s Top News from the Indian Share Market
PARASShares of Paras Defence surged amid geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The company also entered the semiconductor space by incorporating a 70%-owned subsidiary, Paras Semiconductors Pvt Ltd, to establish an advanced packaging OSAT facility for AI and data centers.
BELThe company’s Board of Directors declared an interim dividend of ₹1.95 per equity share (195%) for the financial year 2025-26.
TMCVTata Motors registered a 32% year-on-year growth in February, selling 42,940 commercial vehicle units. Additionally, the automaker signed a government-funded MoU with the V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority to deploy 40 Green Hydrogen-powered prime movers, advancing green energy adoption in the maritime ecosystem.
ADANIENTThe company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Adani Defence Systems and Technologies, executed a Business Transfer Agreement to acquire Punj Lloyd’s Malanpur defence unit. It also signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire a 14.2% stake in Air Works, pushing its total holding in the aviation engineering firm to 99.98%.
M&MMitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery, an associate company operating in Japan, announced its withdrawal from the agricultural machinery business. While the company will continue to supply spare parts and handle warranty services, it plans to dissolve and liquidate its remaining business operations.
Broader Market Performance Today
INDIA VIXTop Performing Sectors Today
*Prices shown may have delay up-to 15 minutes
Today’s Top Gainers and Losers
*Prices shown may have delay up-to 15 minutes
FII DII Activity (₹ Cr)
| Date | FII (Net Value) | DII (Net Value) |
| 27 Feb 2026 | -7,536.36 | 12,292.81 |
| 26 Feb 2026 | -3,465.99 | 5,031.57 |
| 25 Feb 2026 | 2,991.64 | 5,118.57 |
| 24 Feb 2026 | -102.53 | 3,161.22 |
| 23 Feb 2026 | 3,483.70 | -1,292.24 |
What’s Happening Beyond Markets?
- According to HSBC data, India’s manufacturing PMI rose to a four-month high of 56.9 in February, up from 55.4 in January, fueled by strong domestic demand and expanding production volumes. However, the report noted that the growth pace of new export orders eased to a 17-month low.
- As per the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, India’s foreign exchange reserves dropped by $2.11 billion to $723.608 billion during the week ending February 20. This decline follows a recent record high and was primarily driven by falling gold and foreign currency assets.
- SEBI has removed over 1.2 lakh misleading social media posts by unregistered financial influencers. To strengthen surveillance, SEBI has deployed an in-house AI tool called ‘Sudarshan’ to track multilingual violations across digital platforms.
- Stock markets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will remain closed on March 2 and 3 due to escalating Middle East tensions, according to the Capital Market Authority. This precautionary move aims to maintain market stability and protect financial systems amid regional uncertainty.
- According to SEBI Chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the Jane Street episode has prompted sharper surveillance and regulatory tightening in India’s derivatives market. The regulator has upgraded its real-time monitoring infrastructure and refined exposure rules to enhance oversight and mitigate systemic risks.
- The Assam government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have signed an MoU for a pre-feasibility study to develop five new greenfield airports. Planned in locations like Manas and Majuli, this move aims to boost regional connectivity and tourism.
Back to Basics
Terms that put you one step ahead – every day
What is Salience Bias?
Salience Bias is our brain’s tendency to focus on the loudest, flashiest information while ignoring the boring, yet crucial, facts. It’s the “shiny object syndrome” of the stock market. For example, this can happen when an obscure small-cap stock suddenly hits the upper circuit for five days straight, dominating business channels. Our brains lock onto that dramatic 50% gain, completely ignoring the company’s massive debt and zero profits.
We get mesmerised by a flashy SME IPO or a dramatic corporate scandal, overweighting this vivid news while forgetting the quiet, steady compounding of standard blue-chip stocks. Salience bias tricks you into making reactive trades based on bold headlines rather than actual balance sheets. The Fix: Turn down the volume. Base your investing decisions on long-term data, not today’s flashiest headline.
IPO Corner: Mainboard
Upcoming IPO
| Company | Date | Total Issue Size | Issue Price | Minimum Investment |
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Before You Go…
Markets aren’t just charts and tickers; they’re daily tales of ambition and the quiet courage to stay invested.
We’ll be back to cut through the noise, so you can focus on investing intelligently.
