Sensex gains 150 pts, Nifty above 25,900 for third straight day; smallcaps outperform

Market Performance - The BSE Sensex traded 144 points higher, or 0.2%, at 84,210, while the Nifty 50 was up by 55 points to start the day at 25,922, or 0.21% higher [1][11] - The Nifty Smallcap index outperformed the frontline gauges, advancing 0.55% after surging 2.65% in the previous session [11] Key Stock Movements - On the Sensex, Titan Company, Sun Pharma, NTPC, Axis Bank, and Bharti Airtel were among the top gainers, rising up to 1.5% [2][11] - Laggards included HCL Tech, Bajaj Finance, IndiGo, and Asian Paints, which fell in the range of 0.5%-1% [11] Investment Trends - Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth Rs 2,255 crore on February 9, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of just Rs 4.15 crore [5][12] - VK Vijayakumar of Geojit Investments noted strengthening market tailwinds as economic growth prospects improve, particularly with a revival in private capital expenditure [12] Economic Indicators - Data from a sample of listed companies showed a 13.1% year-on-year rise in fixed assets in H1FY26, indicating a pickup in private investment [12] - The improving performance of the broader market, especially in small caps, could enhance retail investor sentiment [12] Global Market Context - U.S. equities ended higher, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gaining momentum as technology stocks stabilized after a previous selloff [6][12] - Asian markets were mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 extending its post-election rally to fresh highs, benefiting from the "Takaichi trade" [7][12] Commodity Prices - Oil prices edged lower, with Brent crude futures slipping 25 cents, or 0.4%, to $68.79 per barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude declining 23 cents, or 0.4%, to $64.13 per barrel [9][12] Currency Exchange - The Indian rupee opened 0.05% higher at 90.71 against the U.S. dollar, compared to the previous close of 90.7575 [10][12]