Stock markets rise for second day on gains in bank, IT stocks

Stock markets closed higher for the second straight session on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), driven by gains in bank, IT and capital goods shares.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 173.81 points, or 0.21%, to close at 83,450.96. The index moved between a high of 83,598 and a low of 82,987.43 during the day.

The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 42.65 points, or 0.17%, to settle at 25,725.40.

Among the Sensex constituents, ITC, Bharat Electronics Ltd., Larsen & Toubro, Infosys, Asian Paints, Titan, Adani Ports, HCL Technologies, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Maruti Suzuki India, IndiGo, State Bank of India and Tech Mahindra were the major gainers.

On the other hand, Eternal, Tata Steel, Trent, Reliance Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Hindustan Unilever ended with losses.

Broader indices also traded firm, with the BSE Smallcap Select Index rising 0.49%, and Midcap Select Index gained 0.26%.

In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index settled 0.47% lower, while markets in China, Hong Kong and South Korea remained closed for the Lunar New Year holidays.

European markets are trading higher in mid-session deals. The U.S. equities market remained shut on Monday (February 16) on account of Presidents’ Day.

Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth ₹972.13 crore on Monday (February 16), while domestic institutional investors purchased stocks worth ₹1,666.98 crore, according to the exchange data.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.79% to $68.13 per barrel.

On Monday (February 16), the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 650.39 points to close at 83,277.15, while the NSE Nifty advanced 211.65 points to settle at 25,682.75.