Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed higher on Monday (February 23, 2026), tracking gains in PSU bank, auto and financial stocks, as investors' sentiments improved after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs.The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 479.95 points, or 0.58%, to settle at 83,294.66. During the session, the benchmark jumped 671.44 points, or 0.81%, to hit an intraday high of 83,486.15.Also Read | Tariffs in trouble: On the U.S. Supreme Court and Donal ...

Market Overview - Markets opened positively following the US Supreme Court's ruling against President Trump's emergency tariffs, with the Sensex rising to ₹83,336.04, up ₹521.33 or 0.63% [1] - The Nifty 50 also saw gains, climbing to ₹25,731.00, an increase of ₹159.75 or 0.62% [1] Tariff Changes - The Supreme Court's decision invalidated approximately $160–175 billion in tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) [2] - President Trump responded by invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, imposing a new 10–15% global tariff for 150 days, which is expected to face legal challenges [2] - For India, this effectively reduces tariffs on exports to around 10% [2] Market Sentiment and Technical Analysis - The US Supreme Court's ruling is viewed positively, but it may not lead to a sustained market rally as fundamentals are still key [3] - The Nifty's immediate pivot is at 25,500, with resistance levels at 25,700–25,750; a move above 25,800 could lead to 26,000 [3] Sector Performance - Banking stocks led the market recovery, with the Bank Nifty closing at ₹61,172, up 432 points, and trading above key moving averages [4] - Among Nifty 50 gainers, Adani Ports rose by 2.86% to ₹1,554.80, and Axis Bank increased by 2.02% to ₹1,395.90, indicating strength in financial services and infrastructure [5] Underperformers - ONGC was the worst performer, falling 2.14% to ₹272.70 due to rising crude oil prices amid US-Iran tensions [6] - IT stocks like Infosys and Wipro also faced declines, contributing to a broader technology sector downturn [6] Institutional Flows - Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth ₹934 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors bought equities worth ₹2,637 crore [7] Corporate Developments - IDFC First Bank reported a significant internal fraud estimated at ₹590 crore, prompting a forensic audit [8] Market Caution - Analysts caution that market sentiment may remain weak as long as it stays below the 50-day SMA of 25,770/83,200 [9]

Core Insights - Retail investors are increasingly buying underperforming stocks while selling high-performing ones, indicating a mean reversion strategy [2][5][6] - In the December quarter, retail holdings rose in 1,019 NSE-listed companies with an average stock price decline of 8.6%, while holdings fell in 1,092 companies with a 1.6% price increase [1][6] - Retail ownership in Kaynes Technology nearly doubled from 8.75% to 16.56%, despite the stock dropping 43% [2][6] - Retail investors sold significant amounts in stocks like BSE and Reliance Industries, which saw price increases of 29% and 15% respectively [6][7] Retail Investment Trends - Estimated retail buying in Kaynes Technology was Rs 2,421 crore, while Dixon Technologies saw Rs 1,696 crore in retail purchases despite a 26% drop [2][6] - Retail selling included Rs 4,313 crore in BSE and Rs 4,238 crore in Reliance Industries, highlighting a trend of exiting profitable stocks [6][7] - Retail share by value in NSE-listed companies decreased to 7.25% as of December 31, 2025, from 7.45% at the end of September [5][6] Market Performance - Over the past eighteen months, Indian markets have shown modest returns, with large-cap stocks performing better than small and mid-caps, where retail investors are more concentrated [6][7] - Retail holdings in rupee terms stood at Rs 34.14 lakh crore, reflecting a 2.94% increase over the quarter, despite a decrease in share percentage [5][7]

Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY) Stock Analysis: A Deep Dive into Financials and Market PositionInfosys Limited (NYSE:INFY) is a global leader in technology services and consulting. The company provides a wide range of services, including IT consulting, software development, and business process outsourcing. Infosys competes with other tech giants like Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro. Recently, Jefferies set a price target of $14.31 for Infosys, while the stock was trading at $14.65, as highlighted by TheFly ...

Core Insights - The market capitalization of six out of the ten most-valued companies increased by Rs 63,478.46 crore last week, driven primarily by strong performances from Larsen & Toubro and State Bank of India [4] - The broader market saw a modest increase, with the BSE Sensex rising by 187.95 points, or 0.22% during the week [4] Company Performance - Larsen & Toubro led the weekly gains, adding Rs 28,523.31 crore to reach a market valuation of Rs 6,02,552.24 crore [4] - State Bank of India experienced a significant rise, with its market capitalization increasing by Rs 16,015.12 crore to Rs 11,22,581.56 crore [4] - HDFC Bank's valuation rose by Rs 9,617.56 crore, bringing its total to Rs 14,03,239.48 crore [4] - Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) added Rs 5,977.12 crore, pushing its market worth to Rs 5,52,203.92 crore [4] - Bajaj Finance's market capitalization climbed by Rs 3,142.36 crore to Rs 6,40,387 crore [4] - Reliance Industries saw a marginal increase of Rs 202.99 crore, taking its total valuation to Rs 19,21,678.78 crore [4] Declines in Market Value - Bharti Airtel recorded the largest decline, with its market capitalization dropping by Rs 15,338.66 crore to Rs 11,27,705.37 crore [4] - ICICI Bank followed with a decrease of Rs 14,632.10 crore, bringing its valuation to Rs 9,97,346.67 crore [4] - Infosys lost Rs 6,791.58 crore in market value, resulting in a total of Rs 5,48,496.14 crore [3][4] - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) slipped by Rs 1,989.95 crore to a market valuation of Rs 9,72,053.48 crore [3][4]

Market Overview - The 30-share BSE Sensex increased by 187.95 points, or 0.22 percent, over the past week [1] Company Valuations - The market valuation of Larsen & Toubro rose by Rs 28,523.31 crore to Rs 6,02,552.24 crore [2][6] - State Bank of India (SBI) added Rs 16,015.12 crore to reach Rs 11,22,581.56 crore [2][6] - HDFC Bank's valuation climbed by Rs 9,617.56 crore to Rs 14,03,239.48 crore [2][6] - Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) increased by Rs 5,977.12 crore to Rs 5,52,203.92 crore [2][6] - Bajaj Finance's market capitalisation advanced by Rs 3,142.36 crore to Rs 6,40,387 crore [4][6] - Reliance Industries' valuation went up by Rs 202.99 crore to Rs 19,21,678.78 crore [4][6] Declines in Valuation - Bharti Airtel's market capitalisation fell by Rs 15,338.66 crore to Rs 11,27,705.37 crore [5][6] - ICICI Bank's valuation decreased by Rs 14,632.10 crore to Rs 9,97,346.67 crore [6] - Infosys' market capitalisation declined by Rs 6,791.58 crore to Rs 5,48,496.14 crore [6] - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) dipped by Rs 1,989.95 crore to Rs 9,72,053.48 crore [6] Top Valued Firms - Reliance Industries remains the most-valued firm, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, Life Insurance Corporation of India, and Infosys [6]

Core Insights - The combined market valuation of six of the top-10 valued firms increased by ₹63,478.46 crore last week, with Larsen & Toubro and State Bank of India being the primary contributors [1][2]. Group 1: Gainers - Larsen & Toubro's market valuation rose by ₹28,523.31 crore, reaching ₹6,02,552.24 crore [2]. - State Bank of India's valuation increased by ₹16,015.12 crore, totaling ₹11,22,581.56 crore [2]. - HDFC Bank's market capitalization climbed by ₹9,617.56 crore to ₹14,03,239.48 crore [3]. - Life Insurance Corporation of India's valuation edged up by ₹5,977.12 crore, reaching ₹5,52,203.92 crore [3]. - Bajaj Finance's market cap advanced by ₹3,142.36 crore to ₹6,40,387 crore [3]. - Reliance Industries' valuation increased by ₹202.99 crore, totaling ₹19,21,678.78 crore [3]. Group 2: Losers - Bharti Airtel's market capitalization fell by ₹15,338.66 crore to ₹11,27,705.37 crore [3]. - ICICI Bank's valuation decreased by ₹14,632.10 crore, bringing it down to ₹9,97,346.67 crore [3]. - Infosys' market cap declined by ₹6,791.58 crore to ₹5,48,496.14 crore [4]. - Tata Consultancy Services' valuation dipped by ₹1,989.95 crore, totaling ₹9,72,053.48 crore [4]. Group 3: Market Overview - The BSE Sensex rose by 187.95 points, or 0.22 percent, over the past week [1]. - Reliance Industries remains the most-valued firm, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, Life Insurance Corporation of India, and Infosys [4].

Market Overview - Markets opened cautiously on February 20, with benchmark indices trading in a narrow range after a significant sell-off that resulted in a loss of nearly ₹6.79 lakh crore in market capitalization [1] - The Sensex opened at 82,272.49 and was trading at 82,591.30, up ₹93.16 or 0.11% [2] - The Nifty 50 opened around 25,400 and was trading at 25,503.60, up 49.25 points or 0.19% [2] Sector Performance - The sell-off on Thursday was broad-based, with reality and media indices losing nearly 2% each, marking the steepest sectoral declines [2] - Banking, auto, FMCG, metals, and aviation stocks were also significantly impacted [3] - Information technology stocks continued to drag the market, with Tech Mahindra falling 1.39% and Infosys dropping 1.34% [11] Investor Activity - Both foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) turned net sellers, offloading ₹459.90 crore and ₹1,082.15 crore, respectively, in the cash market [3] - Analysts suggest that investors optimistic about a potential deal can use the current market weakness to buy fairly valued high-quality stocks in various sectors [12] Geopolitical Influences - The primary trigger for the risk-off mood was escalating US–Iran geopolitical tensions, with President Trump warning of potential consequences if a deal is not reached [4] - Crude oil prices surged above $66 per barrel, climbing more than 7% over two days due to concerns over potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz [4] Global Market Impact - Wall Street closed lower, with the Dow Jones falling 267 points, the Nasdaq down 70 points, and the S&P 500 dipping 19 points [5] - The US Dollar Index rose to near 97.80, impacting emerging market assets, while gold remained above $5,000 per troy ounce due to safe-haven demand [9] Technical Analysis - The Nifty has slipped below its 20-, 50-, and 100-day exponential moving averages, indicating a bearish trend [12] - Immediate support for the Nifty lies at 25,400–25,300, with resistance at 25,600 [12] - The Bank Nifty is hovering above the crucial support zone of 60,500–60,300, with a breach below this level potentially dragging the index toward 60,000–59,800 [12]

Market Overview - The Nifty index traded flat at approximately 25,451.80, while the Sensex decreased by 97.39 points, or 0.12%, hovering near the 82,400 mark [1][14] - The Nifty breadth was positive with 27 stocks in the green and 23 in the red [1][15] Sector Performance - The IT sector was the top laggard, with the Nifty IT index declining by 1.5% in early trade [15] - Top gainers included ONGC, Bharat Electronics, Larsen & Toubro, Titan, and Coal India, while losers included Kwality Wall's, Infosys, HCL Technologies, and Wipro [15] Economic Commentary - The market correction was attributed to the US-Iran standoff, which has led to a spike in crude oil prices, raising concerns about supply disruptions [5][15] - Brent crude prices rose to $72, reflecting market fears and uncertainties [6][15] - The Indian economy shows strength and a recovery in corporate earnings is viewed positively, with expectations of a market bounce back in the coming days [7][15] Investment Strategy - Investors are advised to wait and observe developments in West Asia, but optimistic investors may consider buying fairly valued high-quality stocks in sectors such as banking, financials, autos, pharmaceuticals, hotels, capital goods, and telecom [8][15] - Historical crises have been seen as buying opportunities in hindsight [8] Global Market Influence - US markets closed lower, with the Dow 30 down by 267.50 points or 0.54%, and the S&P 500 down by 19.42 points or 0.28% [9][15] - Asian markets also experienced declines, with Japan's Nikkei 225 down by 1.25%, China's Shanghai Composite down by 1%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index down by 0.6% [10][15] Currency and Investment Flows - The Indian rupee opened 0.3% weaker against the US dollar at 90.94 [11][15] - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) withdrew ₹880 crore from Indian equities, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) offloaded shares worth ₹596 crore [12][15] Crude Oil Prices - Crude oil prices continued to rise amid tensions between the US and Iran, with WTI trading at $66.780 per barrel and Brent at approximately $71.94 [13][15]

What would have been a moment of united commitment to global tech innovation at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit instead proved an awkward one: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi prompted speakers at the event to join hands and raise them in a show of solidarity, all executives onstage obliged — except OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, who held their hands noticeably apart. As leaders of the two foremost labs in the AI race, it goes without saying that Altman and Amodei are fierce comp ...