GIFT Nifty suggests green opening for equities; Fed minutes show officials divided on interest rate outlook

GIFT Nifty:

GIFT Nifty February 2026 futures were up 27.00 points, suggesting a positive start for the Nifty 50 today.

Institutional Flows:

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,154.34 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 440.34 crore in the Indian equity market on 18 February 2026, provisional data showed.

The FIIs have sold shares worth Rs 196.14 crore in the cash market so far in February (till 18 February 2026). This follows their cash sales of Rs 41,435.22 crore in January 2026 and Rs 34,349.62 crore in December.

Global Markets:

Asian stocks rose on Thursday, supported by gains in technology giants on Wall Street, while lingering U.S.-Iran tensions kept oil prices on the boil.

Hong Kong and mainland China markets remain closed for the Lunar New Year break.

Oil prices edged higher as investors digested the latest developments between the U.S. and Iran. Vice President JD Vance reportedly said Tuesday that Iran failed to address U.S. red lines in this weeks nuclear talks and that military action is still a possibility.

Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 moved higher, supported by gains in key technology names, as traders weighed the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserves most recent policy meeting.

The broad-based index climbed 0.56% to end at 6,881.31, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.78% to settle at 22,753.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.26% to close at 49,662.66.

Investors mulled over the minutes from the Feds January meeting, which revealed that participants largely approved of the central banks decision to leave its key interest rate unchanged at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. However, officials were divided on the direction of monetary policy thereafter.

Domestic Market:

The domestic equity benchmarks closed with decent gains on Wednesday, extending their rally to a third straight session. Sentiment, however, remained cautious amid a broader risk-off tone in overseas markets, while investors continued to track upcoming macro data for direction.

In the absence of major domestic triggers, trading remained selective and largely stock-specific. The Nifty settled above the 25,800 mark, supported by strength in metal, PSU bank and FMCG counters, while IT shares underperformed amid lingering AI-related uncertainties, limiting the overall upside.

The S&P BSE Sensex jumped 283.29 points or 0.34% to 83,734.25. The Nifty 50 index rallied 93.95 points or 0.37% to 25,819.35. Over the three consecutive sessions, Sensex and Nifty jumped 1.34% and 1.37%, respectively.

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