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Stock Market Today: Indian equity benchmarks opened lower on Thursday, February 5, tracking muted global cues and some profit-taking at higher levels.

The BSE Sensex slipped 138.41 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 83,679.28 at 9:15 am. The index had closed at 83,817.69 in the previous session. It opened today at 83,757.54.

The NSE Nifty 50 declined 75.95 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 25,700.05. The benchmark ended Tuesday at 25,776.00 and opened marginally lower at 25,755.90.

Selling pressure increased in early trade, keeping Indian equities under pressure and market breadth weak.

Among Sensex stocks, BEL, IndiGo, , Eternal, Axis Bank and Asian Paints were the top losers, falling up to 2 per cent. In contrast, HUL, SBI, Infosys, NTPC and ICICI Bank offered some support, gaining up to 1.4 per cent.

Weakness was led by cyclicals. Nifty Metal slipped 2.21 per cent, while Nifty Auto fell 1.16 per cent as profit-taking continued. Realty and consumer durables also traded lower. Defensive pockets held up better, with Nifty FMCG up 0.12 per cent and Nifty PSU Bank rising 0.50 per cent.

The Nifty 50 was down 0.56 per cent at 25,631.85. Broader markets underperformed. Midcap indices fell around 0.9 per cent, while smallcap indices dropped between 1.1 per cent and 1.7 per cent, reflecting a risk-off mood.

FIIs raised their index futures long positions to 19 per cent, the highest since December 1, 2025. FIIs and DIIs were net buyers in the cash market for the second straight session, though the buying was modest. FIIs showed stronger interest in Bank Nifty futures.

Overnight global markets were volatile. US markets closed mixed, with technology stocks under pressure. Bitcoin slipped to its lowest level since October 2024. The dollar index stayed firm near 97.5. The rupee ended 17 paise lower at 90.44 against the US dollar. Gold and silver saw sharp swings, while crude oil rose for the second day to trade near $69.