Stock markets end marginally higher after volatile day of trading

Market Performance - Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher on February 25, 2026, with Sensex up by 50.15 points or 0.06% at 82,276.07 and Nifty up by 57.85 points or 0.23% at 25,482.50 after a volatile trading day [1] - During the day, Sensex had a peak increase of 731.99 points or 0.89% reaching 82,957.91 before profit-taking led to a reduction in gains [1] Sector Performance - Major gainers in the Sensex pack included HCL Tech, Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, InterGlobe Aviation, Sun Pharma, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Tech Mahindra [2] - Conversely, laggards included Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, Adani Ports, and Eternal [2] Global Market Influence - Asian markets showed positive performance with South Korea's Kospi, Shanghai's SSE Composite index, Japan's Nikkei 225, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ending significantly higher [2] - European markets were also trading in positive territory, while the U.S. market ended higher on February 24, 2026 [3] Investor Activity - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth ₹102.53 crore on February 24, 2026, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) purchased stocks worth ₹3,161.22 crore [4] - The initial strength in Indian markets was attributed to positive global cues and a rebound in U.S. tech stocks, but this was tempered by renewed trade concerns from U.S. tariff comments [4] Commodity Prices - Brent Crude, the global oil benchmark, decreased by 0.14% to $70.67 per barrel [5]