Markets opened cautiously on Friday, February 20, with both benchmark indices trading in a narrow range after Thursday’s sharp sell-off that wiped out nearly ₹6.79 lakh crore in market capitalisation. The Sensex, which closed at 82,498.14 on Thursday, opened at 82,272.49 and was trading at 82,591.30, up ₹93.16 or 0.11 per cent, as of 10.05 am. The Nifty 50, which had closed at 25,454 on Thursday, down 365 points or 1.41 per cent, opened at around 25,400 and was trading at 25,503.60, up 49.25 points or 0.19 ...

Core Viewpoint - The power sector is experiencing growth due to expectations of sustained demand momentum, contributing to a rebound in equity benchmark indices [5]. Group 1: Market Performance - Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply by nearly 1 percent, with the BSE Sensex rising 650.39 points (0.79 percent) to close at 83,277.15 and the NSE Nifty advancing 211.65 points (0.83 percent) to settle at 25,682.75 [3]. - PowerGrid emerged as the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 4.45 percent, alongside strong performances from HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, NTPC, and others [4]. Group 2: Analyst Insights - Analysts noted that domestic markets edged higher due to renewed buying interest in banking and power stocks, with improved loan growth and stable asset quality boosting confidence in banks [5]. - The power sector's gains are attributed to expectations of sustained demand momentum, indicating a positive outlook for the industry [5]. Group 3: Global Market Influences - A decline in the US 10-year yield, following benign inflation data, has strengthened expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut, which is influencing investor sentiment [7]. - Stability in the rupee and range-bound crude oil prices are providing additional support to domestic equities, particularly ahead of US-Iran talks [7]. Group 4: Institutional Activity - Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 7,395.41 crore, while domestic institutional investors purchased stocks worth Rs 5,553.96 crore, indicating a mixed sentiment in the market [9].

Market Performance - Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply by nearly 1% on February 16, 2026, driven by strong buying in power, banking, and financial stocks [1] - The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 650.39 points, or 0.79%, closing at 83,277.15 [1] - The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 211.65 points, or 0.83%, settling at 25,682.75 [2] Sector Performance - PowerGrid emerged as the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 4.45%, with other notable gainers including HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, NTPC, ITC, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel, Adani Ports, Tata Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reliance Industries, and State Bank of India [2] - The power sector gained on expectations of sustained demand momentum, while improved loan growth and stable asset quality bolstered confidence in banks [4] Global Market Influence - A continued decline in the U.S. 10-year yield, following benign inflation data, strengthened expectations of a Fed rate cut later this year, influencing investor sentiment [5] - Stability in the rupee and range-bound crude oil prices ahead of U.S.-Iran talks provided additional support to domestic equities [5] Investor Activity - Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth ₹7,395.41 crore on February 14, 2026, while domestic institutional investors purchased stocks worth ₹5,553.96 crore [7]

On a year-on-year basis, the allocation rose by 90 basis points from 2.8% in January 2025, according to a report by Also Read | Live EventsAccording to the report, since January 2024, the highest allocation has been 3.5% in February 2024, and from July 2024 to June 2025 the weight remained between 2.8% to 2.9%. The report further highlighted that the allocation in the BSE 200 index was 4.1%, and some fund houses such as According to the report, State Bank of India was among the top 10 stocks that witnessed ...

Sensex today | Stock Market LIVE Updates today, Monday, Feb 16: Indian stocks, which opened lower on Monday amid a cautious market mood, were quick to trim losses in morning deals.  The BSE Sensex index was at 82,802 levels, rising 175 points or 0.21 per cent, at 10 AM. The NSE Nifty50, meanwhile, was at 25,523, higher by 51 points or 0.2 per cent.  Power Grid, HDFC Bank, Sun Pharma, NTPC, Kotak Bank, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Tech, ITC, and Axis Bank were the top Sensex gainers today, while Infosys, Adani Ports ...

Market Overview - The BSE Sensex traded over 400 points lower, reaching a low of 83,817, while the Nifty 50 fell over 100 points, slipping below the 25,850 mark [1][11] - A sharp selloff in IT stocks weighed on market sentiment, with Infosys, Eternal, and Titan Company being the top drags, falling between 2-4% [11] - Marginal gains were observed in ICICI Bank, Power Grid, and Tata Steel, rising up to 1% [11] Economic Indicators - The latest U.S. jobs data showed the addition of 130,000 jobs and a decline in unemployment to 4.3%, suggesting the Federal Reserve may refrain from rate cuts in the near term [11] - In India, the rate-cutting cycle appears largely over, with steady growth and inflation expected to gradually return to the RBI's long-term target by the end of FY27 [11] Sector Performance - Market support is likely to come from earnings growth, particularly in sectors such as automobiles, jewellery, hotels, select capital goods, telecom, and financials, which are showing strong performance [12] - Tech stocks are under pressure, particularly following the Anthropic-led disruption, and may take longer to recover [12] - A rotation of funds from IT to better-performing segments could support stocks in sectors driven by stronger earnings [12] Foreign Investment - Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth ₹944 crore on February 11, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers of ₹125.36 crore [5][12] Global Market Trends - U.S. markets ended marginally lower after a choppy session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping more than 66 points (0.1%) and the Nasdaq Composite falling about 0.2% [6][12] - In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 briefly crossed the 58,000 mark for the first time, while South Korea's Kospi surged as much as 2.1% to a record high of 5,466.9 [7][12] - Other Asian markets showed resilience despite weaker cues from Wall Street, with Singapore's benchmark index crossing the 5,000 level for the first time [7][12] Commodity Prices - Oil prices edged higher due to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Brent crude futures rising 34 cents (0.49%) to $69.74 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gaining 37 cents (0.57%) to $65.00 per barrel [9][12] Currency Exchange - The Indian rupee opened 0.27% higher at 90.4550 per U.S. dollar, compared to its previous close of 90.70 [10][12]

Market Trends - The ongoing mild rally in the market is supported by two trends: appreciation in mid and small caps, which has encouraged retail investor participation, and a halt in sustained Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) selling, with FIIs being net buyers in five out of the last six trading sessions [1][11] - The depreciation of around 10% in the dollar over the past year has diminished dollar gains for foreign investors in the US market, potentially prompting FIIs to seek investment opportunities outside the US [11] Investment Activity - Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth ₹69 crore on February 10, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of ₹1,174 crore, according to provisional data from the National Stock Exchange [4][11] Global Market Impact - US markets ended mixed, with the S&P 500 down 0.33% and the Nasdaq Composite down 0.59%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.10% to reach a record high [5][11] - Asia-Pacific markets mostly traded higher, with Australia's S&P/ASX 200 up 1.43% and South Korea's Kospi rising 0.6%, despite weak US economic data [6][7][11] Commodity Prices - Oil prices remained steady, with Brent crude futures up 0.3% at $69.03 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude gaining 0.4% to $64.19 per barrel [8][11] Currency Exchange - The Indian rupee opened at 90.56 per US dollar, showing little change from the previous close of 90.5775 [9][11]

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]

Market Performance - Markets closed sharply higher, with the Sensex gaining 485.35 points or 0.58% to settle at 84,065.75, and the Nifty advancing 173.60 points or 0.68% to end at 25,867.30, driven by optimism around an interim India-US trade framework and strong earnings from State Bank of India [1] - The broader market outperformed benchmarks, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index surging 1.58% to 60,441.15 and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index jumping 2.64% to 17,385.90, indicating a positive market breadth with 3,062 stocks advancing against 1,308 declines [4] Company Highlights - State Bank of India emerged as the top gainer on the Nifty50, surging 7.63% to ₹1,147.80 after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and upgrading its full-year loan growth guidance [2] - Other notable gainers included Shriram Finance, which rose 6.03% to ₹1,063.00, Grasim Industries up 3.11% to ₹2,925.00, Titan Company increasing 3.04% to ₹4,267.00, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories climbing 2.80% to ₹1,276.00 [2] Sector Performance - All 12 main NSE sectors ended in the green, with Nifty Media leading gains at 4.4%, while IT stocks closed nearly flat at 0.02% [5] - The Nifty Bank index gained 548.80 points or 0.91% to close at 60,669.35, and the Nifty Financial Services index advanced 346.95 points or 1.25% to 28,154.05 [5] Currency and Economic Factors - The rupee traded marginally weaker by 6 paise at 90.70 against the dollar, influenced by rising gold and silver prices, which increased the overall import bill [7] - The evolving India-US trade dynamics are adding near-term strain on the currency, with expectations for the rupee to trade in a range of 90.25-91.25 in the near term [7]

Market Overview - Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty extended gains for the second consecutive session, driven by optimism over the India-US trade deal and strong buying in public sector banks, consumer durables, and realty stocks [3][10] - The 30-share BSE Sensex increased by 485.35 points, or 0.58%, closing at 84,065.75, while the NSE Nifty rose by 173.60 points, or 0.68%, settling at 25,867.30 [3][7] Sector Performance - Key sectors attracting investor interest included cement, capital goods, textiles, and consumer discretionary, supported by favorable trade deals and union budget proposals [11] - Public sector banks showed stronger-than-expected performance, contributing to the outperformance of the PSU bank index [10] Stock Performance - Notable gainers included State Bank of India, Titan, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, while laggards comprised PowerGrid, NTPC, and Infosys [4][9] - The benchmark index reached an intraday high of 84,314.68, reflecting a surge of 734.28 points, or 0.87% during the session [6] Foreign Investment - Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) purchased equities worth ₹1,950.77 crore, indicating a return of foreign capital to the market [12]