TLDR
Market Recap: February 05, 2026
On February 05, Indian equities snapped a three-day winning streak as global tech weakness and metal pressure dragged benchmarks lower, while investors stayed cautious ahead of the RBI policy decision (no change expected). The Sensex closed at 83,313.93, down 503.76 pts (-0.60%), and the Nifty 50 ended at 25,642.80, down 133.20 pts (-0.52%). Broader markets softened too, with Nifty Midcap 100 down 0.3% and Nifty Smallcap 100 down 1.3%. Volatility stayed muted: India VIX closed around 12.16, down 0.09 (-0.73%).
Key Drivers :
Global tech risk-off spilled into India: Overseas AI capex worries kept IT heavyweights under pressure, pulling the index despite stable domestic macros.
Commodities cooled, metals followed: A stronger dollar and sharp moves in precious and industrial metals hit metal counters and risk appetite across cyclicals.
RBI event risk kept positioning tight: Traders preferred to cut beta and protect gains from the recent bounce, with policy and commentary the next near-term catalyst.
Today’s Top Stories:
Bharti Airtel: Strong Q3 plus ARPU at ₹259 kept the compounding story intact, even as the stock tracked a weak market.
LIC: Q3 profit and premium income rose; investors now look past headline growth toward mix, margins, and persistency cues.
Alembic Pharma: One-off labour code charge dragged headline profit, but adjusted profitability improved, and revenue grew double digits.
Hindustan Zinc: Silver correction hit sentiment, pushing the stock down sharply and keeping metals volatile on the day.
Hindustan Copper: Copper price reversal triggered a 5% plus drop, reinforcing commodity-led swings across metal counters.
TOP STORIES
1. Bharti Airtel prints strong quarter, ARPU climbs to 259
Print: Pre-tax profit +34.4% YoY; revenue +19.6% YoY; ARPU up 5.7% to ₹259.
So what: Upgrades drove mix, with 79% users on 4G/5G; India base at 465.9 million.
Tape: Results kept tariff and capex debate alive, with focus on pricing power into FY26.
Airtel’s ARPU rose to ₹259 and profits grew. Your take?
2. LIC delivers a demand-led beat after the life insurance tax cut
Gemini-2.5
Print: Net profit +17% YoY to ₹129.58 billion; net premium income +17.5% to ₹1.26 trillion.
So what: APE sales +50.5%; VNB +65% to ₹31.77 billion; VNB margin improved to 18.8%.
Tape: Strong print shifts attention to mix quality and margin durability, not just headline growth.
LIC posted a strong quarter on higher premiums. Your stance?
3. Alembic Pharma: labour code charge hits headline, core stays steady
Gemini-2.5
Print: Profit dipped to ₹1.33 billion due to a one-time ₹301 million labour code charge.
So what: Ex charge, profit rose nearly 15%; revenue +11% to ₹18.76 billion on US strength.
Tape: Market read-through is execution on launches and margins, with one-off noise expected to fade.
$APLLTD.NSE ( ▲ 1.41% )
Alembic profit dipped on a one-time labour code charge. How do you read it?
4. Hindustan Zinc slides as silver breaks sharply
Gemini-2.5
Trigger: Stock fell about 7% to near ₹594 as MCX silver dropped 9% early in trade.
So what: The move was sentiment-driven, linking earnings expectations tightly to precious metal volatility.
Tape: Metals turned risk-off fast; traders treated it as a commodity beta unwind, not company-specific.
Hindustan Zinc fell as silver corrected sharply. What’s your call?
5. Hindustan Copper drops as global copper momentum reverses
Gemini-2.5
Trigger: Shares fell about 5.5% to around ₹579 after a sharp pullback in global copper prices.
So what: China demand concerns re-entered the tape, keeping industrial metals highly headline-sensitive.
Tape: Treated as a macro proxy trade; direction stays tied to copper, dollar, and China signals.
Hindustan Copper slid as copper reversed. What’s next?
GYAANI HOT TAKES
Disclaimer:
The IndiaStox Research Hackathon is intended for educational and community engagement purposes only. Submissions do not constitute investment advice, nor should they be construed as recommendations to buy or sell any securities.
By participating in the IndiaStox Research Hackathon and submitting content, you grant IndiaStox a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and irrevocable license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, distribute, and display your submission, whether in whole or in part, across its digital platforms and in promotional materials. This license extends to both commercial and non-commercial purposes, including content seeding, editorial use, and advertising.
By submitting your work, you confirm that it is your original creation and that you have the right to grant the above license.
