Sensex slips 256 pts, Nifty below 25,450 in early trade as banks, autos drag

Indian equities opened on a subdued note on Friday, with the BSE Sensex slipping 256.50 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 81,992.11 at 9:17 am. The weakness was mirrored in the Nifty 50, which fell 94.65 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 25,401.90, slipping below the 25,450 mark.

IT counters buck the trend

Technology stocks provided a silver lining in an otherwise cautious market.

Infosys rose over 2.4 per cent to around Rs 1,320, emerging as the top gainer on the Nifty pack. Tech Mahindra and HCLTech gained over 1.5 per cent each, while TCS added nearly 1 per cent. Wipro also traded in the green.

The buying interest in IT counters comes even as broader indices face pressure, suggesting selective sectoral rotation amid global cues and currency movements.

Banks, heavyweights weigh

Financial stocks dragged the benchmarks lower. ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank were among the key losers, each slipping between 0.5 per cent and 0.8 per cent. HDFC Bank also traded marginally lower.

Heavyweight Reliance Industries declined about 1 per cent, adding to the downward pressure on the Sensex. Other notable laggards included Bharti Airtel, Maruti Suzuki, M&M and UltraTech Cement, each falling over 1 per cent in early trade.

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