Sensex Jumps 460 Points, Nifty Tops 25,771; Adani Ports Surges 3%

Market Update at 10:40 AM: Indian benchmark equity indices started Monday’s trading session on a positive note, led by gains in index heavyweights such as Reliance Industries and private sector lenders HDFC Bank and Axis Bank.

At 9:55 AM, the BSE Sensex was up 460 points, or 0.55 per cent, at 83,280, after hitting an intra-day high of 83,486 earlier in the session. The Nifty 50 touched a high of 25,771 and was trading 145 points, or 0.6 per cent higher, at 25,717.

Among the Sensex 30 constituents, Adani Ports surged 3 per cent. Kotak Mahindra Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, ICICI Bank and State Bank of India gained between 1 and 2 per cent each. On the other hand, IT stocks, led by Infosys, were seen trading with a negative bias.

In the broader market, the BSE MidCap 150 index advanced 0.3 per cent, while the BSE SmallCap 250 rose 1 per cent in Monday’s trade.

Pre-Market Update at 7:55 AM: Indian equity benchmarks are poised for a strong gap-up opening on Monday, 23 February 2026, after the 6–3 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States striking down President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” and “Reciprocal Tariffs.” The verdict has significantly altered the global trade outlook and boosted investor sentiment across markets. Gift Nifty was trading around the 25,747 level, a premium of nearly 181 points over the previous close of Nifty futures, signalling a gap-up start for domestic indices. However, volatility may remain elevated as Trump later invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary 10 per cent global tariff, subsequently raising it to 15 per cent — the maximum permitted under the provision.

Asian markets advanced, while U.S. equities ended higher on Friday following the Supreme Court ruling. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 230.81 points, or 0.47 per cent, to 49,625.97. The S&P 500 gained 47.62 points, or 0.69 per cent, to 6,909.51, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 203.34 points, or 0.90 per cent, to 22,886.07. Among major stocks, Nvidia rose 1.02 per cent, Advanced Micro Devices declined 1.58 per cent, Amazon climbed 2.56 per cent, Apple gained 1.54 per cent, and Meta Platforms advanced 1.69 per cent. The U.S. dollar weakened as traders viewed the court’s decision as supportive for global growth.

On Friday, Indian markets ended with solid gains amid broad-based buying. The BSE Sensex climbed 316.57 points, or 0.38 per cent, to close at 82,814.71, while the NSE Nifty 50 rose 116.90 points, or 0.46 per cent, to settle at 25,571.25.

On 20 February, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers of equities worth Rs 934.61 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 2,637.15 crore. FIIs have now extended their selling streak to two consecutive sessions.

Investors will monitor further developments in Trump’s tariff policy, India’s GDP data, the monthly derivatives expiry, movements in gold and silver prices, foreign fund flows, and other domestic and global macroeconomic cues.

U.S. GDP growth slowed sharply in the fourth quarter, expanding at a 1.4 per cent annualised pace, below the 3.0 per cent estimate and slower than 4.4 per cent in the third quarter. For the full year, the economy grew 2.2 per cent. Inflation came in stronger than expected, with the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rising 0.4 per cent in December versus expectations of 0.3 per cent. On a year-on-year basis, core PCE inflation accelerated to 3.0 per cent from 2.8 per cent in November.

Minutes of the February meeting of the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee showed that strong growth and easing inflation prompted policymakers to keep rates unchanged. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the current policy rate remains appropriate, citing buoyant growth, benign inflation and improving external conditions.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there is a “good chance” of reaching a diplomatic solution on the nuclear issue, with talks expected in Geneva with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, raising hopes of reduced geopolitical tensions.

In commodities, gold jumped 1 per cent to above USD 5,160, hitting a three-week high amid renewed tariff-related uncertainty. Silver climbed 2 per cent to trade above USD 86 per ounce, marking a fourth straight session of gains. WTI crude oil futures slipped below USD 66 per barrel, easing from a six-month high as markets weighed the likelihood of a U.S.–Iran nuclear deal.

Stocks to watch on 23 February 2026 include Highway Infrastructure, which secured a road development contract under Town Planning Scheme-08 (Indore) worth Rs 69.68 crore; Bharti Airtel, which launched an AI & Cyber Threat Research Center in India with Zscaler Inc as part of a strategic cybersecurity initiative; Allcargo Terminals, which reported January volumes of 63,400 TEUs, up 8 per cent year-on-year but down 5 per cent month-on-month; IDFC First Bank, which disclosed fraudulent transactions linked to Haryana government accounts with a forensic audit by KPMG underway involving Rs 590 crore exposure; and Sudarshan Pharma Industries, where a GST search and seizure was conducted at its Mumbai office while operations remain normal and under review.

Overall, markets are set for a positive start, though tariff-related developments and global macro cues could keep volatility elevated through the week.

For today, Sammaan Capital and SAIL will remain on the F&O ban list.

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