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Post Session: Quick Review
Feb-18-2026

Indian equity benchmarks ended higher on Wednesday, supported by foreign fund inflows as foreign institutional investors (FIIs) turned net buyers. Markets made a cautious start and traded near the neutral lines for most of the session, tracking weakness in IT and TECK stocks amid renewed concerns around artificial intelligence. However, in the final leg of trade, benchmarks gained traction and closed in the green. Traders took note of report that India-France bilateral ties have entered a new phase, with an increased focus on defence, trade, and technology.

Some of the important factors in trade:

FIIs turn net buyers: Traders took some support with exchange data showing that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) turned net buyers and purchased equities worth Rs 995.21 crore, on Tuesday. 

Sitharaman holds talks with Norway finance minister on renewable collaboration: Sentiments remained upbeat as Nirmala Sitharaman held talks with Norway Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg on potential collaboration in renewable energy, especially on solar power, rare earth processing, and carbon capture and storage.

Auto stocks were in focus: Rating agency ICRA in its latest report has said that the Indian automotive industry is expected to see a normalisation of wholesale volume growth, with a modest expansion of 3-6 per cent expected across various segments in the next fiscal year (FY27). 

On the global front: European equity markets were trading in green, as geopolitical tensions eased, and investors reacted to reports of a leadership change at the European Central Bank. Japanese and Indonesian markets were trading higher, as Iran-U.S. nuclear talks showed progress and Japan clocked a smaller-than-expected trade deficit in January. 

The BSE Sensex ended at 83734.25, up by 283.29 points or 0.34% after trading in a range of 83163.62 and 83770.05. There were 19 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Metal up by 1.24%, FMCG up by 1.16%, Capital Goods up by 0.89%, Industrials up by 0.80% and Basic Materials up by 0.78% while, IT down by 1.11% and TECK down by 0.68% were the only losing indices on BSE. (Provisional)

The top gainers on the Sensex were Tata Steel up by 2.83%, ITC up by 2.24%, Axis Bank up by 1.51%, Mahindra & Mahindra up by 1.49% and Reliance Industries up by 1.22%. On the flip side, Tech Mahindra down by 1.58%, Eternal down by 1.56%, Infosys down by 1.37%, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone down by 1.20% and HCL Technologies down by 1.16% were the top losers. (Provisional)

Meanwhile, the bilateral meeting between India and Ireland marked a significant step towards deepening cooperation in telecom and emerging digital technologies, with both countries agreeing to work closely in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) through structured engagement, exchange of best practices, capacity building, and industry linkages. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation, fostering innovation, enhancing digital inclusion, and boosting trade and investment between India and Ireland.

Both sides acknowledged strong complementarities between India’s scale and rapid deployment capabilities, Ireland’s research-driven innovation ecosystem, and EU-aligned regulatory architecture. The potential for structured collaboration between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Ireland’s Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), supported by academia, startups, and industry stakeholders, was emphasized.

During the meeting, the Indian side also shared experiences with key digital initiatives such as DigiLocker, which incorporates robust privacy algorithms to safeguard personal data, and Digi Yatra, enabling seamless, paperless travel experiences at airports. The Sanchar Saathi initiative and its modules, including CEIR for recovery of lost or stolen mobile devices, CIOR for blocking international spoofed calls, SPAM call alert mechanisms by operators, and ASTRA for identifying forged mobile connections, were also highlighted by the Indian side.

The CNX Nifty ended at 25819.35, up by 93.95 points or 0.37% after trading in a range of 25645.15 and 25828.05. There were 31 stocks advancing against 20 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The top gainers on Nifty were HDFC Life Insurance up by 3.37%, Tata Steel up by 2.87%, ITC up by 2.15%, Tata Consumer Products up by 1.61% and Bajaj Auto up by 1.56%. On the flip side, ONGC down by 2.67%, Wipro down by 1.69%, Eternal down by 1.56%, Tech Mahindra down by 1.56% and Infosys down by 1.38% were the top losers. (Provisional)

European markets were trading higher; UK’s FTSE 100 increased 97.93 points or 0.93% to 10,654.10, Germany’s DAX gained 197.49 points or 0.79% to 24,998.40 and France’s CAC rose 44.96 points or 0.54% to 8,361.46.

Japanese and Indonesian markets settled higher on Wednesday, tracking Wall Streets’ marginal gains overnight, although regional trading volumes were light as most markets in Asia stayed closed for the Lunar New Year holidays. Reports of progress in the US-Iran nuclear negotiations have eased concerns over potential energy supply disruptions, leading to a stabilization in oil prices and improved investor risk appetite in the market. Japan’s Nikkei surged after Washington's confirmation of the first $36 billion tranche of Japan's $550 billion US investment pledge tied to a tariff deal. Separate set of data showed Japan's exports surged in January and business confidence improved in February, offering cautious relief for policymakers seeking to stabilize a stuttering economy. Meanwhile, investors awaited the release of key US economic data as well as the minutes from the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting for signals on future interest rate cuts.

Nikkei settled up by 577.35 points or 1.02% to 57,143.84, and Jakarta Composite Index closed higher by 97.96 points 1.18% to 8,310.23.
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