Sensex and Nifty 50 Extend Winning Streak to Third Session on Feb 4, 2026: RIL & ICICI Bank Shine, But IT Selloff Limits Upside

  The Indian stock market showed resilience on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, as the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 closed higher for the third consecutive session . Benchmark indices gained modestly amid strong buying in banking and energy heavyweights, but a sharp selloff in IT stocks—triggered by global concerns over a new AI tool from Anthropic—capped the overall gains. Market Snapshot: How Sensex and Nifty Closed Today BSE Sensex : Closed at 83,817.69 , up 78.56 points (+0.09%) NSE Nifty 50 : Closed at 25,776 , up 48.45 points (+0.19%) This marks the third straight day of gains, following a strong rally on Tuesday (Feb 3) driven by the India-US trade deal announcement. The market opened positive but turned range-bound as IT selling intensified in the afternoon. What Powered the Gains? RIL and ICICI Bank Lead the Charge Reliance Industries (RIL) and ICICI Bank emerged as the top contributors to the Sensex and Nifty gains. Other notable performers included: Bharti Airtel...

Nifty 50 Set for Massive Gap-Up Opening Today (February 3, 2026) : India - US Trade Deal Boosts Sentiment

 


Yes, the Nifty 50 is poised for a strong gap-up opening this Tuesday morning, February 3, 2026, following the landmark India-US trade agreement announced by US President Donald Trump late on February 2. This development has ignited massive optimism in global and domestic markets, driving pre-market indicators sharply higher and signaling one of the strongest opening rallies in recent memory.

Pre-Market Cues Point to Sharp Gains

  • GIFT Nifty (the key early indicator for Nifty futures) was trading in the 25,900–26,000 range early today, with levels reported between 25,917 to 25,939 (and even higher spikes up to 26,205 in some updates as of around 8:00–8:11 AM IST).
  • This represents a premium of 700–900+ points (roughly 3–3.5%) over Monday's Nifty 50 close of 25,088.40.
  • Analysts and live market reports (from sources like Economic Times, Reuters, Moneycontrol, Mint, and CNBC-TV18) unanimously describe this as a gap-up start, with expectations of the Nifty opening around 25,800–26,000 or higher, potentially testing 25,500–26,000 levels intraday.

The surge stems directly from the India-US trade breakthrough:

  • US tariffs on Indian goods slashed to 18% (from up to 50%, including the punitive component tied to Russian oil purchases).
  • India’s commitment to shift energy sourcing away from Russia toward more US and alternative suppliers.
  • This removes a major overhang that had pressured export sectors and overall sentiment, paving the way for renewed foreign inflows, improved competitiveness in textiles, pharma, engineering, and autos, and a broader bullish tilt.

Why This Gap-Up Feels Historic event Brighter Outlook: India-US Trade Deal Boosts Sentiment

Adding to the optimism, a major India-US trade breakthrough announced by US President Donald Trump on February 2, 2026, sent pre-market signals soaring. The deal slashes US tariffs on Indian goods to 18% (from up to 50% including punitive levies), removes barriers linked to energy sourcing, and paves the way for increased bilateral trade worth hundreds of billions.

GIFT Nifty futures surged dramatically overnight (up to 800+ points in some reports), pointing to a potential gap-up opening on February 3. Export-oriented sectors like textiles, engineering, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles stand to benefit immensely from improved competitiveness against peers like China and Bangladesh.

This agreement addresses long-standing trade frictions, encourages energy diversification, and could trigger renewed foreign inflows—further supporting India's growth story.

Why This Is Great News for Investors

Despite near-term volatility from the Budget and global cues, the Indian market demonstrates underlying strength:

  • Domestic inflows continue to provide stability.
  • Structural reforms in infrastructure, biopharma (₹10,000 crore allocation), women-led enterprises (SHE Marts), and tech/digital economy position India for 7%+ GDP growth.
  • Export edge from the trade deal enhances earnings potential in key sectors.

Long-term investors can view recent dips as buying opportunities, with focus on quality stocks in infra, manufacturing, defense, and export plays. As implementation details roll out and global sentiment improves, the path to new highs looks promising.

  • Coming off Monday's solid rebound (+1.06% for Nifty, closing at 25,088.40 after value buying in heavyweights), today's pre-open momentum builds on that recovery.
  • It's also weekly expiry day for Nifty options, which could amplify volatility but favor short-covering and bullish momentum if the gap holds.
  • Asian markets are rallying in tandem, adding to the positive global backdrop.
  • Broader outlook: Experts see potential for Nifty to push toward 25,500+ quickly, with limited downside if buying sustains. This could mark a swift recovery from the
  •  Budget-day dip earlier in the week.

What to Watch in Today's Session

  • Opening Bell (9:15 AM IST): Look for confirmation of the gap-up; strong volume in export-oriented and large-cap stocks could drive further upside.
  • Key Levels: Support near 25,000–25,200 if any profit-taking emerges; resistance at 25,500–26,000.
  • Sector Focus: Textiles, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and engineering goods likely to lead gains due to tariff relief. Infrastructure and defense may continue momentum from Budget capex themes.
  • Risks: High expectations could lead to some volatility or profit-booking at higher levels, but the trade deal provides strong fundamental support.

This is shaping up as a highly positive start to the trading week for Indian equities, reinforcing India's growth narrative amid improving global trade ties. Investors in export plays and quality large-caps stand to benefit most.

Track live updates as the market opens—early action looks set to be explosive! Stay invested wisely and monitor for any follow-through buying.

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