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How retail investors are playing a risky game by swimming against the market tide to survive Nifty bears
The Economic Times· 2026-02-23 03:40
Core Insights - Retail investors are increasingly buying underperforming stocks while selling high-performing ones, indicating a mean reversion strategy [2][5][6] - In the December quarter, retail holdings rose in 1,019 NSE-listed companies with an average stock price decline of 8.6%, while holdings fell in 1,092 companies with a 1.6% price increase [1][6] - Retail ownership in Kaynes Technology nearly doubled from 8.75% to 16.56%, despite the stock dropping 43% [2][6] - Retail investors sold significant amounts in stocks like BSE and Reliance Industries, which saw price increases of 29% and 15% respectively [6][7] Retail Investment Trends - Estimated retail buying in Kaynes Technology was Rs 2,421 crore, while Dixon Technologies saw Rs 1,696 crore in retail purchases despite a 26% drop [2][6] - Retail selling included Rs 4,313 crore in BSE and Rs 4,238 crore in Reliance Industries, highlighting a trend of exiting profitable stocks [6][7] - Retail share by value in NSE-listed companies decreased to 7.25% as of December 31, 2025, from 7.45% at the end of September [5][6] Market Performance - Over the past eighteen months, Indian markets have shown modest returns, with large-cap stocks performing better than small and mid-caps, where retail investors are more concentrated [6][7] - Retail holdings in rupee terms stood at Rs 34.14 lakh crore, reflecting a 2.94% increase over the quarter, despite a decrease in share percentage [5][7]