Indian equity markets struggled around noon on February 18, with Sensex and Nifty slipping nearly half a percent, weighed down by financial services and auto stocks. The broader market took an even bigger hit—BSE Midcap dropped nearly 1 percent, while BSE Smallcap plunged nearly 2 percent, reflecting intensified selling pressure. Sectoral performance painted a bleak picture, with 12 of 13 sectoral indices in the red. The Nifty IT index, the lone exception, edged 0.1 percent lower.