The Indian stock market turned bullish on Wednesday, February 18, as investors embraced broad-based buying across sectors. The Sensex climbed 283 points, or 0.34%, closing at 83,734.25, while the Nifty 50 ended at 25,819.35, up 94 points, or 0.37%.
Markets extended their winning streak to the third consecutive session, buoyed by sectoral gains and late-session buying in select heavyweight stocks. Mid-cap and small-cap stocks also followed the upward trend, reflecting optimism among investors.
Market Performance Today
Wednesday’s trading session brought a wave of positive movement across indices:
- BSE 150 MidCap Index: Up 0.50%
- BSE 250 SmallCap Index: Up 0.39%
Investor wealth saw a significant boost as the overall market capitalization of BSE-listed companies rose by nearly ₹2 lakh crore, climbing from ₹470 lakh crore to ₹472 lakh crore in a single session.
The advance-decline ratio tilted in favour of buyers, with over 2,200 stocks advancing while around 1,900 stocks declined on the BSE.
Key Highlights: Why Markets Moved Up?
The market rally was driven primarily by late-session buying in select heavyweight stocks. With Q3 earnings mostly out and major domestic triggers such as the Union Budget and RBI policy behind, investors focused on stock- and sector-specific moves.
- Banking and financial stocks held steady, reflecting confidence in domestic asset trends.
- FMCG stocks saw selective buying, contributing to broader market strength.
Overall, investors responded positively to the domestic sectoral cues, offsetting lingering global uncertainties.
Top Gainers in Nifty 50
Among the Nifty 50 constituents, 31 stocks closed higher. Notable gainers included:
- Kwality Wall's (India) – Up 4.94%
- HDFC Life Insurance Company – Up 3.37%
- Tata Steel – Up 2.93%
- ITC – Up 2.15%
- Bajaj Auto – Up 1.56%
These companies saw a surge as investor interest picked up in the latter part of the session.
Top Losers in Nifty 50
On the flip side, 19 stocks in the Nifty 50 closed lower, with major decliners being:
- Wipro – Down 1.73%
- Eternal – Down 1.47%
- Adani Enterprises – Down 1.41%
- Infosys – Down 1.26%
- Tech Mahindra – Down 1.25%
Even as markets rose, certain IT and enterprise stocks faced profit-booking pressure during the session.
Sectoral Performance Snapshot
Almost all sectoral indices ended the day in green, with strong performances from metals, PSU banks, and FMCG.
- Nifty Metal: Up 1.33%
- PSU Bank Index: Up 1.31%
- FMCG Index: Up 1.21%
- Nifty Bank: Up 0.62% to 61,550.80
- Nifty Financial Services: Up 0.62%
The only sectoral laggard was Nifty IT, which fell 1.23%, reflecting uneven sector-specific movements.
Most Active Stocks by Volume
Trading activity remained concentrated in a few high-volume counters:
- Easy Trip Planners: 71.10 crore shares
- Vodafone Idea: 35.90 crore shares
- Filatex Fashions: 12.5 crore shares
High-volume trades reflected investor focus on companies experiencing sharp intraday price movements.
Notable Stock Movements on BSE
- Stocks jumping over 15%: 14 stocks, including Godfrey Phillips India, Ratnamani Metals & Tubes, and Universus Photo Imagings, surged beyond the 15% mark.
- 52-week highs: Over 110 stocks, including Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Auto, Cummins India, and JSW Steel, touched new highs.
- 52-week lows: Around 100 stocks, including Info Edge (India), L&T Technology Services, and Brainbees Solutions, hit new lows.
This mix of extreme price movements highlighted sector-specific momentum alongside selective investor optimism.
Summary
Wednesday’s session offered a healthy mix of broad-based buying and selective stock gains. Key takeaway points from the session include:
- Sensex rose 283 points, Nifty 50 crossed 25,800
- Mid-cap and small-cap indices followed the upward trend
- Investor wealth surged by nearly ₹2 lakh crore
- Banking, metals, and FMCG sectors led the rally
- IT sector remained under pressure
- Several stocks touched 52-week highs, while some hit 52-week lows
The Indian stock market’s momentum reflects a focus on domestic sector performance, with investors reacting to late-session buying in major stocks and sector-specific strength.
Source: Livemint
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