Indian Markets End Higher on Wednesday; Nifty Metal Surges 2.7%, IT Index Gains 1.57%

Market Update at 04:05 PM: On Wednesday, February 25, India’s key equity benchmarks, the Nifty 50 and the Sensex, closed in positive territory after trimming most of their Intraday gains. The session was marked by strength in metal and IT stocks, even as select heavyweight counters capped the upside.

After a gap-up opening, the Nifty 50 rallied over 200 points in early trade but pared gains during midday deals. 

At the close, the Nifty 50 settled higher by 57.85 points, or 0.23 per cent, at 25,482.50. The Sensex rose 50.15 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 82,276.07. The Bank Nifty ended largely flat at 61,043. Shares of ICICI Bank and Tata Consultancy Services supported the benchmarks, helping them end in the green despite profit-booking at higher levels.

Indian IT stocks staged a strong recovery after a steep sell-off in the previous session, tracking a rebound in global technology shares and improved sentiment following fresh developments from AI startup Anthropic. The Nifty IT index rose 1.57 per cent, emerging as the top-performing sector in early trade. IT stocks carry a weightage of around 10.83 per cent in the Nifty 50, the second-highest among sectoral components. Rapid developments in artificial intelligence continue to raise questions about the long-term outlook for India’s technology sector, although industry executives view the disruption as an opportunity.

On the sectoral front, 7 out of 11 key indices ended higher. The Nifty Metal index emerged as the top gainer, climbing 2.7 per cent and extending previous gains. The index is currently trading just 1 per cent below its record high. Broader markets outperformed the headline indices, with the Nifty Midcap index rising 0.58 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index advancing 0.98 per cent.

In contrast, the Nifty PSU Bank index declined 0.39 per cent, even as it continues to trade near its record high and has gained over 11 per cent in the past one month.

Shares of Indian Solar energy companies came under sharp selling pressure after the U.S. Commerce Department imposed preliminary countervailing duties of about 126 per cent on solar cell and module imports from India. The move triggered heavy losses across the sector, with frontline stocks falling up to 15 per cent in early trade amid concerns over export uncertainty and trade risks. Following the news, Waaree Energies, Premier Energies and Vikram Solar shares tumbled over 10 per cent.

Market breadth remained positive. Out of 3,287 stocks traded on the NSE as of February 24, 2026, 1,701 advanced, 1,480 declined and 106 remained unchanged. A total of 77 stocks touched their 52-week highs, while 243 hit their 52-week lows. Additionally, 59 stocks were locked in Upper Circuits and 86 in Lower Circuits.

Market Update at 2:45 PM: Indian equity markets traded in positive territory on Wednesday, supported by steady gains in metal and information technology stocks, even as select pockets of the broader market faced pressure.

At 2 PM, the BSE Sensex was trading at 82,239.27, up 13.35 points or 0.02 per cent. The NSE Nifty50 stood at 25,457.3, higher by 32.65 points or 0.13 per cent.

Among the 30 Sensex constituents, Tata Steel, HCL Tech, Sun Pharma and TCS gained around 2 to 3 per cent each. On the other hand, Kotak Bank, ITC, SBI, RIL and Bharti Airtel were among the top laggards.

In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap 100 index rose 0.14 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap 100 advanced 0.45 per cent. The India VIX declined over 5 per cent to 14.15, indicating easing volatility.

On the sectoral front, the Nifty Metal index emerged as the top gainer, rising nearly 2 per cent. The Nifty Auto and Nifty IT indices were also up around 1 per cent each.

However, solar-related stocks in the broader market plunged up to 14 per cent after the U.S. imposed import tariffs on multiple countries, weighing on sentiment in the renewable energy space.
 

Market Update at 12:42 PM: Indian equity markets traded with a positive bias on Wednesday, supported by steady gains in information technology and private banking stocks.

As of 12:34 PM on 25 February 2026, the NSE Nifty 50 was at 25,542.40, up 117.75 points or 0.46 per cent. The BSE Sensex stood at 82,484.75, higher by 258.83 points or 0.31 per cent.

Among the 30 Sensex constituents, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, TCS and HCL Technologies gained around 2–3 per cent each. InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), Power Grid Corporation, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Steel and ICICI Bank were among the other key gainers in trade.

In the broader markets, the Nifty MidCap 100 rose 0.6 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap 100 added 0.8 per cent. The India VIX declined over 9 per cent to 12.87 levels, indicating easing volatility.

On the sectoral front, the Nifty IT index emerged as the top gainer, rising nearly 3 per cent, followed by the Nifty Metal index, which was up 2.5 per cent.

However, in the broader market, solar-related stocks plunged up to 14 per cent after the U.S. imposed import tariffs on multiple countries, weighing on sentiment in the renewable energy space.

Market Update at 10:04 AM: The Sensex and the Nifty opened higher on Wednesday amid a significant bounce back in beaten-down IT shares. The BSE Sensex opened 304 points higher at 82,530 and soon surged to a high of 82,785. The index was trading 510 points, or 0.6 per cent, higher at 82,725 levels.

The Nifty 50 also gained momentum, quoting 140 points, or 0.55 per cent, higher at 25,560.

Among the Sensex 30 constituents, IT stocks led the rally. Shares of TCS, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra and Infosys were up around 3 per cent each. Power Grid, NTPC, IndiGo and Tata Steel were among the other prominent gainers. On the downside, Bajaj Finance and Maruti were the notable laggards.

In the broader market, the Nifty Mid-Cap and Nifty Small-Cap indices advanced around 0.5 per cent each, indicating positive sentiment across segments.

Sectorally, the Nifty IT index, which has tanked up to 21 per cent this month, emerged as the top sectoral gainer, rising 2.5 per cent in early trade as investors lapped up IT stocks after recent sharp corrections.

Pre-Market Update at 7:48 AM: The Indian stock market benchmark indices, the BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50, are likely to open higher on Wednesday, stabilising after a sharp sell-off in the previous session, tracking gains in global markets and a rebound in U.S. technology stocks.

As of 7:36 am, GIFT Nifty was trading around the 25,664 level, a premium of nearly 61 points over the previous close of Nifty futures, indicating a positive start for domestic equities. The upbeat opening is supported by three key catalysts: a rebound in U.S. technology stocks after AI disruption-led weakness, FIIs turning net buyers for February with net inflows so far, and positive cues from Asian markets following the rally on Wall Street.

On February 24, FIIs were net sellers to the tune of Rs 102.53 crore, while DIIs bought equities worth Rs 3,161.22 crore. Despite Tuesday’s outflow, FIIs remain net buyers for February so far with net inflows of Rs 1,369.93 crore.

On Tuesday, Indian equities ended sharply lower amid broad-based selling triggered by AI disruption fears. The Sensex declined 1,068.74 points, or 1.28 per cent, to close at 82,225.92, while the Nifty 50 fell 288.35 points, or 1.12 per cent, to settle at 25,424.65.

The U.S. stock market ended higher on Tuesday, led by strong gains in technology shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 370.44 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 49,174.50. The S&P 500 gained 52.32 points, or 0.77 per cent, to 6,890.07, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 236.41 points, or 1.05 per cent, to 22,863.68. 

Among major movers, Nvidia gained 0.68 per cent, Advanced Micro Devices surged 8.8 per cent, Intel rose 5.71 per cent, Microsoft added 1.18 per cent, Apple climbed 2.24 per cent, Amazon gained 1.60 per cent and Meta Platforms edged up 0.3 per cent. Other notable performers included Tesla, up 2.39 per cent; Keysight Technologies, soaring 23.1 per cent; FactSet, rising 5.9 per cent; Salesforce, up 4.1 per cent; and Thomson Reuters, jumping 11.5 per cent. 

Advanced Micro Devices agreed to sell up to USD 60 billion worth of AI chips to Meta Platforms over five years, allowing it to acquire as much as 10 per cent stake in the chipmaker.

Geopolitical tensions remain elevated as the U.S. initiated its largest military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 Second Gulf War, deploying two aircraft carriers and additional F-22 fighter jets to Israel.

In commodities, gold rose to around USD 5,180 per ounce, supported by trade and geopolitical uncertainty after U.S. President Donald Trump’s 10 per cent global tariff came into effect, with plans to increase it to 15 per cent. Spot silver jumped 1.5 per cent to USD 88.28 per ounce. Oil prices hovered near seven-month highs amid concerns of supply disruption due to U.S.-Iran tensions, with WTI crude futures rising 0.64 per cent, or 42 cents, to USD 66.05 per barrel.

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Disclaimer: The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.