Sensex and Nifty Open Lower Amid Global Trade Tensions and Foreign Fund Outflows

Indian equity markets opened sharply lower on January 19, 2026, with the Sensex falling up to 700 points and the Nifty slipping below 25,500 amid weak global cues and rising trade tensions. Investor sentiment was dampened by US threats of tariffs on European countries, sustained foreign institutional investor selling, and mixed corporate earnings from major firms like Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank. Market volatility increased, with sectoral declines led by IT, media, and financials, while domestic institutional investors provided some support amid cautious trading.