Last Updated on February 18, 2026 7:56 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
BIS DESK
Indian equity markets closed on a high note this Wednesday, marking their third consecutive session of gains. While the day started on a cautious note with IT stocks dragging the indices, a massive late-hour surge in Metal, PSU Bank, and FMCG sectors propelled the Nifty 50 above the 25,800 mark.
Here are the top headlines and market movers for February 18, 2026:
Market Performance at a Glance
- BSE Sensex: Closed at 83,734.25, up 283.29 points (0.34%).
- NSE Nifty 50: Closed at 25,819.35, up 93.95 points (0.37%).
- Market Breadth: Positive, with an advance-decline ratio of 1.15.
Top Gainers (Nifty 50)
Metal and consumer-focused stocks were the stars of the day, helping the index recover from morning lows.
| Stock | Price (₹) | % Change | Key Driver |
| Kwality Walls | 29.34 | +4.97% | Post-listing momentum & acquisition buzz. |
| HDFC Life | 729.70 | +3.39% | Strong buying in financial services. |
| Tata Steel | 208.85 | +2.84% | Rebound in global metal prices. |
| ITC | 332.65 | +2.21% | Broad-based buying in FMCG heavyweights. |
| Bajaj Auto | 10,004.00 | +1.81% | Strong domestic demand expectations. |
Top Losers (Nifty 50)
The IT sector remained the primary drag on the market, as investor concerns over AI-led disruption and margin pressures persisted.
| Stock | Price (₹) | % Change | Key Driver |
| Wipro | 212.15 | -1.64% | Profit booking after recent volatility. |
| Tech Mahindra | 1,500.00 | -1.56% | Continued sector-wide weakness in IT. |
| Eternal (Zomato) | 277.10 | -1.56% | Slid despite expanding its OpenAI partnership. |
| Infosys | 1,372.00 | -1.38% | Ambitious $400bn AI plan failed to lift sentiment. |
| Adani Ent. | 2,213.00 | -1.33% | Volatility in infrastructure stocks. |
Major News Headlines
- Cigarette Stocks Light Up: Godfrey Phillips rocketed 20% following reports of significant price hikes (20%–40%) to offset excise duties. VST Industries and ITC also saw substantial interest.
- Nvidia Partnership Boost: Mid-cap tech players E2E Networks (+20%) and Netweb Tech (+10%) hit upper circuits or multi-year highs after announcing strategic collaborations with chip giant Nvidia.
- Infrastructure Wins: Dilip Buildcon gained focus after winning a ₹7.02 billion flood protection project in Gujarat. L&T also touched record highs following its own AI infrastructure tie-ups.
- Eternal’s AI Bet: Eternal Ltd (the parent of Zomato/Blinkit) announced an expanded tie-up with OpenAI to integrate advanced AI into its food delivery and quick-commerce operations.
