🇮🇳 Indian Markets Pre Market Report (Feb 18, 2026): GIFT Nifty Positive — Can Nifty Clear 25,850 and Target 26,000?
🌍 Global Cues (Overnight) — What’s Setting the Tone
🇺🇸 US Markets (Tuesday Close — Feb 17, 2026)
Indian Markets Pre Market Report Starts with global cues: Wall Street finished slightly higher, but the ride wasn’t smooth—tech swung hard intraday before stabilising.
S&P 500: 6,843.22 (+0.10%)
Dow Jones: 49,533.19 (+0.10%)
Nasdaq: 22,578.38 (+0.10% to +0.14% range across reports)
One-line reason: Markets are still digesting “AI disruption” chatter, but bargain hunting in select tech and strength in financials helped keep indices green.
🇪🇺 Europe (Tuesday Close — Feb 17, 2026)
Europe closed stronger, led by banks and healthcare.
STOXX 600: 621.29 (+0.5%)
One-line reason: Risk mood improved on sector rotation (banks/healthcare), while oil weakness and AI-related uncertainty continued to hover in the background.
🌏 Asia (Early Wednesday — Feb 18, 2026)
Asian trade is less “noisy” than last week, but sentiment is still headline-driven—especially oil + geopolitics and the AI theme.
Reuters’ Asia market dashboard shows key indices broadly positive (Hong Kong and Japan firm in the snapshot).
One-line reason: Markets are balancing softer commodities with cautious optimism, while keeping one eye on geopolitics and global central bank signals.
🎯 GIFT Nifty (Early Signal) — Today’s Opening Mood
GIFT Nifty: up ~45 points in early trade, indicating a positive start for Dalal Street.
Reality check: A positive GIFT start helps, but the real game is whether Nifty holds gains after the first hour, because that’s where fake breakouts usually get exposed.
🇮🇳 Indian Market Snapshot (Last Session — Feb 17, 2026)
Tuesday ended with a measured bounce—not a euphoric rally, but enough to improve the short-term structure.
✅ Closing Levels
Nifty 50: 25,725.40 (+0.17%)
Sensex: 83,450.96 (+0.21%)
🧠 What Moved the Market (Simple & Real)
IT supported the move, helped by Infosys momentum after its AI partnership headlines.
Reliance slipped, but it didn’t derail the index because broader sectors held up.
Broader tone: traders look more willing to buy dips, but still not reckless.
👉More details keep reading Indian Markets Post Market Report (17 Feb 2026)
🎯 Indian Markets Pre Market Report Key Levels Today — Nifty 50, Bank Nifty, Sensex (Support & Resistance)
🧿 Nifty 50 Levels
According to market technician views, 25,800–25,850 is the immediate hurdle, and a sustained move above that can open 26,000.
Support is seen around 25,630–25,600.
Nifty 50 Zones for Today
Immediate Resistance: 25,800 – 25,850
Next Upside Zone: 26,000 (psychological + supply area)
Immediate Support: 25,630 – 25,600
Deep Support (if sentiment slips): 25,500 zone (round-number + recent battle area)
How to use it: If we break 25,850 and hold, dips may get bought. If we reject that zone repeatedly, it can become a classic “sell-on-rise” pocket.
🏦 Bank Nifty Levels
Bank Nifty outperformed again and ended near the 61,200 zone (as per expert commentary).
Bank Nifty Zones
Support: 60,800 – 60,600 (dip-buying area if banks remain strong)
Resistance: 61,200 – 61,400 (needs clean breakout for momentum)
Why this matters today: If Bank Nifty stays firm, Nifty’s upside attempt becomes much easier.
🏛️ Sensex Levels
Support: 83,000 – 82,800
Resistance: 83,700 – 84,000
Sensex strength usually confirms whether the rally is broad-based or just sector-led.
🧾 Derivatives Corner — OI Mood, PCR, India VIX
🌡️ India VIX (Volatility)
India VIX fell ~4.93% to around 12.67 on Feb 17.
Meaning: Volatility is cooling a bit, which supports steadier trending moves—good news for bulls if price holds above key supports.
✅ Put-Call Ratio (PCR)
NIFTY50 PCR: around 0.97 (Upstox snapshot)
How to read it: PCR near 1 is not extreme. It suggests the market isn’t heavily one-sided, which fits the current tone: cautious optimism, not blind euphoria.
💰 FII & DII Data (Latest — Feb 17, 2026) 💸
FIIs turned net buyers: about ₹995 crore
DIIs net buyers: about ₹187 crore
Why it matters: When FIIs flip to buying after selling pressure, markets often get a short-term confidence boost—especially near important levels.
🛢️ Commodities Watch — Crude, Gold, Silver (Latest)
🛢️ Crude Oil (Brent & WTI)
Oil slid ~2% to a two-week low as optimism rose around progress in US–Iran talks.
Brent: $67.52/bbl
WTI: $62.42/bbl
India angle: Softer oil is usually supportive for India (inflation + CAD comfort), but oil can reverse fast if geopolitics flares again.
🥇 MCX Gold
MCX Gold: around ₹1,51,800 / 10g (early Feb 18 snapshot) 👉5paisa
🥈 MCX Silver
MCX Silver: around ₹2,30,204/ kg (early Feb 18 snapshot)
What’s happening: Precious metals have seen sharp swings and recent selling pressure; traders are cautious about “catching the bottom” too early.
💱 Currency Check — USD/INR (Rupee)
Rupee closed near-flat: 90.6725 per USD (Feb 17)
Why it matters today: A stable rupee supports risk sentiment. If USD/INR starts pushing toward 91 with speed, it can dampen equities intraday.
🏛️ SEBI Update — New Rule & Market Impact (Important for Traders)
SEBI issued a circular on Revision of the Order-to-Trade Ratio (OTR) framework (Feb 4, 2026).
Key points (in simple words):
For equity options, algorithmic orders within ±40% of LTP (premium) or ±₹20 (whichever is higher) are exempt from OTR penalty computation.
Algo orders by designated market makers for market-making activity are excluded from OTR computation. Effective from April 6, 2026.
Impact: This is a structural step—meant to balance genuine liquidity providing while discouraging abusive order spam.
It won’t move markets daily, but it shapes derivatives microstructure.
🏢 Major Stocks / Q3 Results Outlook — 2 Things to Track Today
1) 💻 Infosys + IT Pack (Sentiment Driver)
Infosys got a sentiment push after its partnership with Anthropic to explore AI use-cases in regulated industries—this supported the IT sector.
What to watch today: If IT holds strength post-opening, Nifty gets an easier route toward 25,850+.
2) 🏭 Reliance + Index Heavyweights (Balance Maker)
Reliance slipped in the last session even as the index rose. 👉Reuters
What to watch today: If Reliance stabilises and banks stay firm, it improves the odds of a cleaner up-move rather than a choppy range.
👉Important Stocks Q3 Results keep reading Q3 FY26 Results Update: TCS, Infosys, HCLTech
Q3 FY26 Results Snapshot: Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel & Bajaj Finance
🧾 IPO Updates — New & Ongoing (Fresh Dates)
Here are IPO items actively in focus around Feb 18:
Fractal Industries IPO (SME): subscription window Feb 16–Feb 18; tentative listing around Feb 23 (as per IPO trackers).
Yashhtej Industries (India) IPO (SME): opens Feb 18 and closes Feb 20 (as per tracker).
(IPO dates can shift; always cross-check exchange notices before applying.)
🧠 Investment Strategy — Short Term vs Long Term
⏱️ Short Term (Traders)
If Nifty sustains above 25,850, intraday dips could be buyable toward 26,000.
If Nifty fails to cross 25,850 and slips below 25,600, expect range chop and quick stop hunts.
Keep sizing sensible—volatility is lower than last week but still not “easy mode.”
🧱 Long Term (Investors)
Use volatility to build gradually—avoid lump-sum emotional buys.
Focus on quality leaders and staggered accumulation.
Softer crude and stable rupee are supportive macro cues, but global headlines can flip quickly.
✅ Today’s Market Forecast (Feb 18, 2026) — 5 Bullet Points
1. Positive opening bias as GIFT Nifty is up ~45 points early.
2. Nifty’s key hurdle is 25,800–25,850; a sustained breakout can extend toward 26,000. 👉moneycontrol
3. Support to watch is 25,630–25,600; holding this keeps bulls in control.
4. FIIs turning buyers adds near-term confidence, but follow-through matters.
5. Oil softness is a tailwind, but geopolitical headlines (US–Iran talks) can swing it fast.
👉Further reading
Indian Markets Weekly View (Feb 16–Feb 20, 2026)
India’s New Labor Codes: Why Companies Are Taking “Thousand-Crore”
Mutual Funds Explained:Types, Returns & Risks
Why Investment Matters: Detailed Explanation
Stock Market 101 – Lesson 17: Trading Psychology (Biases, FOMO, and Discipline)
Stock Market 101– Lesson 9: Technical Analysis
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This Indian Markets Pre Market Report is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Markets involve risk. Please consult a SEBI-registered financial advisor before making investment decisions.