The Indian stock market witnessed a strong rebound in Monday’s trading session, February 16, with late-session buying lifting the key indices to close nearly 1% higher, led primarily by gains in financial and pharma stocks.
The Nifty 50 ended the session 0.83% higher at 25,682, while the Sensex settled at 83,277, marking a gain of 0.80% over the previous close. The broader markets delivered a mixed performance, with the Nifty Midcap 100 advancing 0.40% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 closing with a modest 1.1% gain.
Sectorally, Nifty Realty emerged as the top performer with a 1.60% rise, followed by Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Pharma, Nifty Oil & Gas, and Nifty FMCG, all surging between 0.80% and 1%. On the losing side, Nifty Media slipped 0.90%, while Nifty Auto fell 0.73%.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, said, “After a range-bound opening, domestic markets edged higher, supported by renewed buying interest in banking and power stocks. The power sector gained on expectations of sustained demand momentum, while improved loan growth and stable asset quality bolstered confidence in banks.”
“Globally, a continued decline in the US 10-year yield following benign inflation data strengthened expectations of a Fed rate cut later this year, with investors now closely awaiting the upcoming Fed minutes for further direction. Meanwhile, stability in the INR and range-bound crude oil prices ahead of US–Iran talks are offering additional support to domestic equities,” he further added.
Engineers India surges 12%; pharma and infra stocks rally
Engineers India topped the gainers, rallying 12.4% to ₹226 apiece as analysts remained bullish on the stock following its December quarter performance, while Natco Pharma shares surged 7% to ₹881 apiece after the company received CDSCO approval for its semaglutide injection last week.
GMR Airports was another top performer among Nifty 500 stocks, gaining 7% to ₹100.5 apiece in reaction to its Q3FY26 earnings. RHI Magnesita India also reacted positively to its December quarter results, with the stock ending 6% higher at ₹462 apiece.
Ending a two-day slide, Akums Drugs & Pharma shares jumped 6% to ₹477.20 apiece and even touched a six-month high during intraday trade.
Keeping its bull run intact, Signatureglobal shares advanced another 5.6% to ₹1,098 apiece, taking their month-to-date surge to 22%.
After suffering losses for four sessions, BLS International Services shares rebounded 5.35% to ₹283.70 apiece. Likewise, Power Grid Corporation shares regained 4.7% to ₹300 apiece, ending a two-day slide.
Other stocks such as Himadri Speciality, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Adani Green Energy, Graphite India, Aster DM Healthcare, Aurobindo Pharma, KFIN Technologies, Coal India, GE Vernova T&D India, CRISIL, Siemens, and L&T Finance were among the counters that closed the trade with gains of over 3%.
Earnings disappointment, RBI norms drag select stocks
On the losing side, Brainbees Solutions, Ola Electric Mobility, and C.E. Info Systems closed with sharp losses, falling 11.2%, 6.7%, and 6.5%, respectively, as investors were disappointed with the companies’ December quarter numbers.
TBO Tek shares saw renewed selling pressure following a brief rally, dropping 5.20% to ₹1,442 apiece. Extending their losing streak for the fourth straight day, Reliance Infrastructure shares were locked in a 5% lower circuit at ₹98.9 apiece, their lowest level since June 2022.
Meanwhile, broking and exchange stocks such as BSE and Angel One fell 7.3% and 4.7%, respectively, after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced amendments to banks’ capital market exposure norms.
Overall, 21 stocks among the Nifty 500 constituents declined by over 3%.
Disclaimer: We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
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