Pre-Market 19 Feb 2026: Nifty at 25,819 as Financials & Metals Lead

Indian equity markets head into Thursday after benchmark indices extended gains for a third straight session on Wednesday, 18 February. Buying in financials and metals helped indices recover from early weakness, even as IT stocks remained under pressure.

The session began flat and dipped briefly before momentum picked up in the final hours.

Yesterday’s Market Recap

Both indices closed higher on 18 Feb 2026.

• The Nifty 50 rose 0.37% to finish at 25,819.35.

• The Sensex added 0.34% to settle at 83,734.25.

At the open, the Sensex was up 102.63 points (0.12%) at 83,553.59, while the Nifty started at 25,752.65, up by 27.25 points (0.11%). Early gains faded, and benchmarks slipped nearly 0.2% before recovering in the last two hours

Sectoral Trends: Financials and Metals Outperform

Sector participation remained broad. Out of 16 major sectors, 15 ended higher.

• State-owned lenders gained 1.3%, after rising 2.1% in the previous session

• Financials advanced 0.6%

• Metals climbed 1.3%, reversing earlier losses

• FMCG and PSU Bank indices rose over 1%

Steel stocks were active after reports that the US may simplify steel tariffs:

• Tata Steel rose 2.9%

• JSW Steel gained 0.7%

• SAIL added 1.4%

On the other side, the IT index fell 1.2%, with all ten constituents declining. Infosys dropped 1.3%, giving up earlier gains.

Broader Markets And Wealth Creation

Buying extended beyond frontline names.

The BSE 250 SmallCap Index rose 0.39%, while the BSE 150 MidCap Index gained 0.50%.

Total market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies increased to about ₹472 lakh crore, up from ₹470 lakh crore in the previous session. Investor wealth rose by roughly ₹2 lakh crore in one day.

Global Cues And Commodities

Asian markets traded higher in thin volumes, with Japan’s Nikkei rallying nearly 1%, while several markets were shut for Lunar New Year.

US markets closed marginally higher overnight, supported by technology and financial stocks.

Geopolitical sentiment improved after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran and the United States had reached an understanding on guiding principles in nuclear talks.

In Commodities:

• MCX Gold opened at ₹1,53,303 per 10 grams, up ₹1,885 (1.24%)

• MCX Silver opened at ₹2,32,929 per kg, up ₹4,146 (1.81%)

• In global markets, spot gold traded at $4,880.18 per ounce, while silver eased 1% to $72.83 per ounce.

Currency And Volatility

The rupee strengthened by 6 paise, closing at 90.66 (provisional) against the US dollar.

The volatility gauge India VIX declined more than 3%, indicating easing short-term risk perception.

Yesterday’s Key Movers

• Gainers: Tata Steel, ITC, Axis Bank and Reliance Industries contributed positively.

• Losers: Tech Mahindra and Infosys weighed on the IT segment.

Technical Levels To Watch

Immediate resistance for Nifty is placed in the 25,900-25,950 zone. A sustained move above this band could open upside toward 26,100, followed by 26,300.

On the downside, 25,700-25,650 is expected to act as immediate support.

With volatility easing but IT under pressure, price action may remain selective around these levels.

Also Read - Post Market 17 February 2026

What Should We Expect In Today’s Market?

As markets open on Thursday, attention is likely to remain on follow-through buying in financials and metals, along with global cues and commodity movements.

With benchmarks near resistance and IT stocks still soft, trading may continue to be stock-specific rather than broad-based.

Sources:

ET

Mint

The Hindu Business Line