Last Updated on February 17, 2026 9:02 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
BIZ DESK / MUMBAI
Indian equity benchmarks, the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50, closed in the green for the second consecutive session on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Despite a cautious start influenced by muted global cues and the closure of major Asian markets for the Lunar New Year, domestic indices staged a steady recovery led by a rebound in technology heavyweights and a surge in public sector banks.
The 30-share BSE Sensex rose by 173.81 points (0.21%) to settle at 83,450.96. During the day, the index showcased volatility, swinging over 600 points from an intraday low of 82,987.43 to a high of 83,598.00. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty 50 gained 42.65 points (0.17%) to end at 25,725.40.
Investor sentiment was bolstered by a flurry of positive corporate developments. Adani Enterprises led the gainers after announcing a massive $100 billion investment plan for AI-ready data centers, while Infosys rose nearly 2% following a strategic AI partnership with Anthropic. However, persistent selling in the metal and energy sectors capped the day’s gains.
Sector-Wise Market Performance
While the headline indices showed modest gains, the internal sectoral movements revealed a clear divide between growth-oriented sectors and commodity-linked laggards.
| Sector | Performance | Key Drivers |
| PSU Banking | +2.36% | Strong Q3 earnings and favorable regulatory tailwinds fueled a rally in State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda. |
| IT & Tech | +1.15% | Bottom-fishing in beaten-down stocks and fresh AI-related collaborations (Infosys & Anthropic) revived interest. |
| Capital Goods | +0.85% | Larsen & Toubro hit a 52-week high following a subsidiary stake sale to Torrent Power. |
| FMCG | +0.90% | ITC emerged as a top heavyweight gainer, offsetting weakness in Hindustan Unilever. |
| Metals | -1.00% | Sharp declines in Hindalco and Tata Steel amid falling global precious metal prices and demand concerns. |
| Energy/Oil & Gas | Weak | Reliance Industries and ONGC ended in the red as global crude prices fluctuated. |
Market Highlights at a Glance
- Top Gainers: Adani Enterprises (+2.74%), ITC (+2.34%), Bharat Electronics (+1.97%), Infosys (+1.88%), and L&T (+1.77%).
- Top Losers: Kwality Wall’s (-5.00%), Hindalco (-1.87%), Eternal/Zomato (-1.83%), and Tata Steel (-1.42%).
- Broader Markets: Outperformed the benchmarks; the BSE Smallcap Select Index climbed 0.49%, while the Midcap Index rose 0.26%.
- Global Cues: Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.47%. Markets in China, Hong Kong, and South Korea remained closed for the Lunar New Year.
Analyst View: “Domestic markets attempted to recover recent losses triggered by AI-disruption fears. Selective bottom-fishing in IT and a resilient GDP outlook provided a floor to the market despite a weak start.” — Vinod Nair, Geojit Financial Services.
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