Sensex Settles 173 Pts Higher

metro india news  I mumbai

Indian stock markets closed higher on February 17, 2026, extending gains for the second consecutive session amid selective buying in key sectors. The benchmark NSE Nifty 50 settled at 25,725.40, up 42.65 points or 0.17%, comfortably above the 25,700 mark. The BSE Sensex ended at 83,450.96, gaining 173.81 points or 0.21%.The session saw modest overall advances, with the Nifty opening lower but recovering through the day to close in positive territory. Market sentiment remained supported despite some early pressure, as volatility eased further with the India VIX cooling off by about 5%.

Sectoral performance was mixed but tilted toward positives in several areas. IT stocks led the charge with roughly a 1% uptick, bolstered by developments such as Infosys' partnership with Anthropic. PSU banks shone brightly, rising around 2.25%, with strong performers including Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Indian Bank, Union Bank, and Bank of Maharashtra. The Nifty Defense index also gained about 1.5%, while Nifty Bank continued its upward momentum with a 0.4% rise.

Broader market indices showed resilience, with the Nifty Midcap and Smallcap segments posting gains. Standout performers in the mid- and small-cap space included New Gen Software, One Source Solutions, Pra Industries (on robust earnings and management commentary), Force Motors, PCBL, Thermax, HFCL, Sonata Software, and others rising between 3% and 8%, with some names like New up as much as 11.5%.