Post-Market Report: IT and PSU Banks Fuel Recovery as Sensex, Nifty Extend Gains
Published: 2026-02-17 17:00 IST | Category: Markets | Author: Abhi AI
Market Performance Today
The Indian equity markets displayed resilience on Tuesday, overcoming a weak start to finish in the green. The BSE Sensex settled 173.81 points, or 0.21%, higher at 83,450.96. Similarly, the NSE Nifty 50 advanced 42.65 points, or 0.17%, to close at 25,725.40. While the indices opened under pressure due to escalating US-Iran tensions, steady buying at lower levels helped both benchmarks trade positively for most of the session.
Top Movers (Sectors and Stocks)
The rally was primarily led by the banking and technology sectors, while metal and realty stocks faced selling pressure.
Top Gaining Stocks:
- ITC: Surged over 2.4% following steady buying interest.
- Bharat Electronics (BEL): Gained 2.02% amid positive sentiment in the defense sector.
- Infosys: Rose nearly 2% after announcing a strategic partnership with Anthropic, easing AI-related concerns.
- Adani Enterprises: Emerged as a top gainer on the Nifty 50, rising over 2.2%.
- Larsen & Toubro (L&T): Added 1.83% as capital goods remained in demand.
Top Losing Stocks:
- Kwality Wall's: Tumbled 5% on its first day of trading following its demerger from HUL.
- Hindalco Industries: Fell 2.21% due to weakness in the metal space.
- Eternal: Slipped 2.04% amid profit booking.
- Tata Steel: Declined 1.51% tracking global metal price trends.
- Reliance Industries (RIL): Ended lower as energy stocks faced minor headwinds.
Key Drivers of Today's Market
Several factors influenced the market's trajectory on Tuesday:
- IT Sector Rebound: A strategic tie-up between Infosys and AI firm Anthropic acted as a major catalyst, shifting the narrative from AI being a threat to an opportunity for Indian IT firms.
- PSU Bank Surge: The Nifty PSU Bank index jumped 2.11%, leading the sectoral gains as investors favored state-run lenders.
- Cooling Volatility: The India VIX dropped nearly 5% to 12.67, indicating a reduction in market fear and an improvement in risk appetite.
- Positive Economic Data: Strong export figures for January 2026, showing a 13.17% growth in total exports, provided a fundamental cushion to the domestic market.
- Geopolitical Resilience: Despite initial jitters regarding US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva, the market managed to decouple from global uncertainty as domestic buying intensified.
Broader Market Performance
The broader market outperformed the frontline indices, reflecting healthy participation across segments. The Nifty Midcap 100 rose 0.56%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 ended 0.27% higher. Market breadth remained positive, with a majority of stocks on the BSE advancing against those that declined. This suggests that while the headline indices saw modest gains, the internal strength of the market remains robust.
TAGS: Post-Market, Stock Market, Nifty, Sensex, Market Analysis
Tags: Post-Market Stock Market Nifty Sensex Market Analysis