Sensex settles 283 pts higher; Nifty ends above 25,800 level

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Last Updated : Feb 18 2026 | 5:16 PM IST
The key domestic indices ended with modest gains today, extending their rally for the third consecutive session, led by metal and PSU bank stocks. Meanwhile, IT shares lagged amid persistent AI-related uncertainties, which capped broader gains. The Nifty ended above the 25,800 level. Barring the IT index, all other sectoral indices on the NSE ended in the green, led by metal, PSU bank, and FMCG stocks.

As per provisional closing data, the barometer index, 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. In the three consecutive trading sessions, Sensex and Nifty jumped 1.34% and 1.37%, respectively.

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. The BSE 150 MidCap Index climbed 0.50% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index rose 0.39%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 2,241 shares rose and 1,957 shares fell. A total of 185 shares were unchanged.

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, dropped 3.55% to 12.22.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index rose 1.33% to 11,985.75. The index fell 1.06% in the past trading session.

Hindustan Copper (up 3.4%), Tata Steel (up 2.99%), Lloyds Metals & Energy (up 2.86%), Jindal Stainless (up 2.52%), Vedanta (up 1.44%), Steel Authority of India (up 1.44%), NMDC (up 1.35%), Hindalco Industries (up 1.07%), National Aluminium Company (up 0.95%) and Jindal Steel (up 0.92%) surged.

Stocks in Spotlight:

E2E Networks surged 12.91% after NVIDIA announced that the Indian company is building an NVIDIA Blackwell GPU cluster on its TIR cloud platform. E2E Networks however clarified later stating that the latest media coverage was a reiteration and public acknowledgement of its existing relationship with NVIDIA, and not the result of fresh negotiations, binding agreements or new partnerships.

Netweb Technologies India surged 8.84% after the company launched artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputing systems, Tyrone Camarero Spark and Tyrone Supercomputing Systems, powered by NVIDIA Sovereign AI Development.

Power Mech Projects surged 4.23% after securing domestic orders worth Rs 1,005 crore from subsidiaries of Adani Power. The contracts were awarded by Mirzapur Thermal Energy (UP) and Mahan Energen for ultra-supercritical thermal power projects. The Mirzapur order is valued at Rs 515 crore, while the Mahan order is worth Rs 490 crore.

Dilip Buildcon rose 3.71% after the company announced that it has emerged as the lowest (L-1) bidder for a major infrastructure project in Gujarat. The tender, floated by the Narmada Water Resources, Water Supply & Kalpasar Department, is valued at Rs 702 crore.

The project involves the construction of a flood protection embankment on the Narmada River in the Bharuch District. Executed on an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis, the project is scheduled for completion within a 24-month timeframe.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone fell 1.20%. The company announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Port of Marseille Fos, Frances leading port, to enhance trade facilitation, port innovation, and energy transition.

Aurionpro Solutions jumped 4.83% after the company announced that it has bagged a significant order from a reputed global data center developer and operator.

Bharti Airtel rose 0.05%. The company announced that its subsidiary, Airtel Money, has received a Certificate of Registration from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Type II Non-Deposit Accepting Non-Banking Financial Company [Type II-NBFC-ND (ICC)].

Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) shed 0.67%. The company has announced that it has received a Letter of Acceptance from Steel Authority of India (SAIL) for executing a Captive Power Plant (CPP) package.

Bosch rose 0.97%. The company announced that its board approved the appointment of Tillmann Olsen as the chief financial officer (CFO) with effect from 1 June 2026.

Dabur India declined 1.47%. The company announced the appointment of Herjit S. Bhalla as chief executive officer (CEO) India Business, with effect from 15 April 2026, as part of a leadership realignment aimed at sharpening operational focus.

Spandana Sphoorty Financial shed 0.47%. The company announced that its board has approved the appointment of Avinash Yadav as chief information officer (CIO), effective 17 February 2026.

Global Markets:

The US Dow Jones index futures are currently up by 216 points, signaling a strong opening for US stocks today.

European indices traded higher on Wednesday as investors weighed the latest U.K. inflation data and monitored global market developments.

The U.K. inflation rate fell to 3% in January, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Most Asian stocks ended higher despite the renewed artificial intelligence worries gripping international markets, while oil prices were under pressure after Iran touted progress in nuclear negotiations with the United States.

Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea were among the markets closed for Lunar New Year holidays.

US equity market saw a lackluster session on Tuesday as investors grappled with the outlook for the AI boom. Concerns that companies are over-investing, along with angst about the extent to which the nascent technology could disrupt labor markets, have fuelled investor jitters in recent weeks.

Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.07% to 49,533.19, the S&P 500 was up 0.10% at 6,843.22, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.14% to 22,578.38.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures were little changed on Wednesday after both slid to close at more than two-week lows in the previous session.

Following talks in Geneva on Tuesday, Iran's foreign minister reportedly said Tehran and Washington reached an understanding on main "guiding principles" towards resolving their longstanding nuclear dispute, easing worries about a military conflict near the Strait of Hormuz that could disrupt global oil supply.

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First Published: Feb 18 2026 | 4:04 PM IST

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