📊🇮🇳 Indian Markets Post Market Report (17 Feb 2026)

(Nifty • Sensex • Bank Nifty • FII/DII • VIX • IPOs • Commodities • Currency)

Indian Markets Post Market Report Today: Indian equities ended mildly higher for the second straight session, but today’s trade was more about stock-specific action than a broad rally.

The market opened soft, then found support as IT stocks climbed on the Infosys–Anthropic AI tie-up, helping Nifty and Sensex close in the green even as Reliance stayed a drag and metals slipped. 

🔔 Indian Markets Post Market Report – Closing Levels (17.02.2026)

Nifty 50 (NSE)

Close: 25,725.40 Change: +42.65 (+0.16%) 

Sensex (BSE)

Close: 83,450.96 Change: +173.81 (+0.20%) 

Bank Nifty (NSE)

Close: 61,174.00 Change: +224.90 (+0.36%)

👉Money Control

🧠Why the Market Moved Today (Key Reasons)

💻 1) IT rebound on Infosys–Anthropic AI collaboration

IT stocks gained after Infosys announced a collaboration with Anthropic to build enterprise AI solutions for regulated industries.

The news helped calm the “AI threat” narrative that had hit IT recently, and Infosys rose ~1.9%. 

⚖️ 2) Reliance drag capped the upside

Even with IT strength, Reliance slipped ~1%, limiting index gains because it’s a heavyweight in Nifty. 

🪙 3) Metal weakness from stronger dollar vibes

Metals were under pressure (sector down noted in market wrap), which kept the rally narrow. 

🏦 4) PSU banks stayed strong

State-owned banks outperformed (sector strength highlighted in the day’s wrap), supporting sentiment and breadth. 

🚀 Top 5 Gainers (Nifty 50)

1. Adani Enterprises (+2.67%)

2. ITC (+2.34%)

3. Bharat Electronics (BEL) (+2.02%)

4. Infosys (+1.88%)

5. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) (+1.86%) 

📉 Top 5 Losers (Nifty 50)

1. Reliance (-0.98%)

2. Hindalco (-1.91%)

3. Eternal (Zomato) (-1.78%)

4. Tata Steel (-1.33%)

5. Trent (-1.36%) 

🧭 Sector Performance Snapshot

✅ Sectors that led

IT: moved up meaningfully on AI-deal optimism (supportive for headline indices) 

PSU Banks: strong performance highlighted in the session wrap  FMCG / Capital Goods: leaders like ITC and L&T supported the up-move 

❌ Sectors that lagged

Metals: down on the day, sector pressure visible through key names like Hindalco/Tata Steel 

🌡️ India VIX (Volatility)

India VIX close (17 Feb 2026): ~12.67 (lower vs prior close) 

What it means: VIX near ~12–13 usually signals moderate volatility—good for selective trending moves, but still sharp enough for quick intraday spikes.

📌 Two Major Stocks: Growth + Fundamentals (Investment Lens)

💡 1) Infosys (INFY) — “AI opportunity” theme back in focus

Today’s move: +1.88% on Nifty gainer list 

Trigger: Partnership with Anthropic to deploy AI agents (starting with telecom, then expanding into BFSI/manufacturing/software).

Infosys disclosed AI services were ~5.5% of Dec-quarter revenue, and highlighted thousands of AI projects/agents under development. 

Fundamental snapshot (quick):

P/E (TTM): ~19.78 ROE: ~33.69% Debt-to-equity: ~0.11 Dividend yield: ~3.22% 

👉keep reading for Q3 results Q3 FY26 Results Update: TCS, Infosys, HCLTech

Investment take:

Infosys looks like a quality “core” IT pick for long-term investors who want exposure to enterprise AI spending without taking extreme balance-sheet risk.

The key monitorables now are: (1) deal conversions in regulated industries, and (2) whether AI boosts margins or compresses pricing.

🖥️ 2) Adani Enterprises (ADANIENT) — big narrative + big execution game

Today’s move: +2.74% (top Nifty gainer) 

Trigger: Adani announced a plan to invest $100B in renewable-powered, AI-ready data centres by 2035, aimed at building a large “energy + compute” backbone for India’s AI ambitions. 

Fundamental reality check (quick):

Strong reported multi-year profit growth is noted, but also flags like lower interest coverage and lower ROE (3-yr) are highlighted in summary screens. 

Investment take:

This is a high-beta story stock. If the data-centre + renewables buildout executes well, the upside narrative can stay strong. But it’s best approached with strict risk management, because capex-heavy growth + leverage sensitivity can amplify volatility.

💰 FII & DII Data (Cash Market)

The latest available (Today) print around this session shows:

17 Feb 2026:

FII: ₹ + 995.21cr (net buy)

DII: ₹ +187.04 cr (net buy) 

How to use this in your read:

Even when FPIs are cautious, steady DII buying can keep dips supported—especially in heavyweight-led sessions like this week.

🧾🚀 IPO & Listing Updates

CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions IPO: price band reported ₹1,000–₹1,053, opens Feb 23 and closes Feb 25 (as per market updates). 

Kwality Walls (newly listed after demerger) stayed under pressure and was among the day’s biggest losers. 

🪙 Commodities Update

🛢️ Crude Oil

Brent: $68.53/bbl (steady)

WTI: $63.54/bbl 👉Reuters

🥇 Gold

MCX Gold (Apr): ~₹1,52,720 / 10g

🥈Silver

MCX Silver (Mar): ~₹2,31,653 / kg 

💱 Currency Update (USD/INR)

Rupee close: 90.6725 per USD (nearly flat) Market chatter suggested RBI presence helped keep USD/INR range-bound near the 91 area. 

⭐ Stock of the Day

Infosys (INFY)

Because today wasn’t a “broad market day”—it was a headline + narrative day, and Infosys helped shift the sentiment for the entire IT pack with the Anthropic collaboration news. 

🏛️ SEBI Update

Market updates noted SEBI clearing ASK Asset & Wealth Management’s entry into the mutual fund space, which is an interesting development for the asset management ecosystem. 👉The EconomicTimes

🧩 Investment View (Short-Term vs Long-Term)

Short-Term (1–10 trading days)

Keep positions light and level-based: the index moved up, but gains were modest and leadership was concentrated. 

Watch IT momentum: if AI optimism sustains, IT can stay supportive; if it fades, the market may slip back into range mode.  With VIX around ~12.67, use disciplined stops—don’t overtrade chop. 

Long-Term (6–36 months)

Prefer a barbell approach: “Core compounders” with clean fundamentals (e.g., quality IT/financials) Plus limited allocation to high-beta themes (capex/data-center/renewables) only if your risk appetite supports it. 👉investing.com

❓✅ Quick FAQs

Q1. Why did Nifty close higher today even with Reliance falling?

Because IT strength—especially Infosys—offset the drag from Reliance. 

Q2. What was the biggest trigger in today’s market?

Infosys’ partnership with Anthropic, which revived optimism around IT and enterprise AI. 

Q3. Is India VIX high right now?

VIX near ~12–13 generally indicates moderate volatility—not panic, but not “sleep mode” either. 

Q4. Which stocks led Nifty gainers today?

Adani Enterprises, ITC, BEL, Infosys, and L&T were among the top gainers. 👉angelone

Q5. What should investors track tomorrow?

IT follow-through, metals trend, USD/INR stability, and crude around the $68 Brent zone. 

👉Further reading

🇮🇳Indian Markets Pre Market Report Today (Feb 17, 2026)

Indian Markets Weekly View (Feb 16–Feb 20, 2026)

Stock Market 101 – Lesson 17: Trading Psychology (Biases, FOMO, and Discipline)

Stock Market 101–Lesson 14 IPOs for Beginners: Process & Allotment Basics

How Much Should You Invest Every Month? A Simple Guide for Salaried People

⚠️Disclaimer:

This market report is shared for education and information only. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a solicitation to buy/sell any security. Markets involve risk. Please consult a SEBI-registered financial advisor before taking investment decisions.