
Stock markets rise for second day on gains in bank, IT stocks
The Hindu
Stock markets rise for a second day, led by gains in bank and IT stocks despite losses in several major companies.
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%.

The U.S. has launched two investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 against India and other economies to examine practices that may be ‘unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce’. One probe examines whether countries, including India, are using excess manufacturing capacity to export to the U.S. in a manner that hurts American businesses, while another looks at whether countries have taken ‘sufficient steps’ to prohibit imports of goods produced with forced labour.












