Stock markets decline in early trade dragged by IT firms

Market Performance - The equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced declines in early trade on January 5, 2026, with Sensex dropping 125.96 points to 85,636.05 and Nifty dipping 30.95 points to 26,297.60 [1] - Major blue-chip IT stocks such as HCL Tech, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, HDFC Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, and NTPC were among the biggest laggards [1] - Conversely, Bharat Electronics, Tata Steel, Axis Bank, and Reliance Industries were noted as gainers during the same period [1] Institutional Investment - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) purchased equities worth ₹289.80 crore on January 2, 2026, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth ₹677.38 crore [2] Geopolitical Context - The year 2026 has commenced with significant geopolitical developments, particularly U.S. actions in Venezuela, which may have far-reaching implications for global geopolitics, as noted by V.K. Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments Ltd [2] Asian Market Trends - In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, and Shanghai's SSE Composite indices were trading significantly higher, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was marginally lower [3] - U.S. markets concluded mostly in positive territory on the preceding Friday [3] Oil Prices - Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, saw a slight decrease of 0.08% to $60.70 per barrel [3] Previous Market Performance - On the preceding Friday, January 2, 2026, the Sensex increased by 573.41 points, or 0.67%, closing at 85,762.01, while the Nifty rose by 182 points, or 0.70%, to settle at 26,328.55 [3]