Broader markets were mixed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.48% and the Smallcap 100 declining 0.11%.
Equities recovered from early weakness to close higher on Friday, even as the rupee extended losses to its lowest close since early February and market breadth remained negative, underscoring a cautious undertone despite index gains.
The Sensex rose 316.57 points, or 0.38 per cent, to close at 82,814.71 after opening at 82,272.49 against a previous close of 82,498.14. The Nifty 50 advanced 116.90 points, or 0.46 per cent, to settle at 25,571.25 after a weak start. Buying in heavyweight cyclicals helped the benchmarks rebound sharply from intraday lows before momentum eased in the afternoon session.
Among Nifty 50 constituents, Hindalco Industries gained 3.21 per cent to ₹934.75, NTPC rose 2.64 per cent to ₹372.80 and Larsen & Toubro climbed 2.33 per cent to ₹4,380.10. SBI Life Insurance added 1.81 per cent to ₹2,080.00, while Hindustan Unilever advanced 1.71 per cent to ₹2,318.30.
On the losing side, Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited fell 3.46 per cent to ₹27.60, Eternal declined 1.31 per cent to ₹268.20, Infosys dropped 1.28 per cent to ₹1,353.00, Tech Mahindra slipped 1.03 per cent to ₹1,464.00 and Grasim Industries lost 1.02 per cent to ₹2,835.00.
Sectorally, PSU banks, metals, power and capital goods led gains, while IT and media stocks ended in the red. Broader markets were mixed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.48 per cent and the Smallcap 100 declining 0.11 per cent. Market breadth was weak as 1,882 stocks advanced against 2,303 declines on the BSE, with 204 stocks hitting 52-week lows compared with 82 at highs.
The Indian rupee depreciated 31 paise to close at 90.98 per US dollar, marking its fifth straight day of decline amid a stronger dollar, capital outflows and geopolitical concerns. Firm crude oil prices also weighed on sentiment.
“Nifty rebounded modestly… after early weakness, the index gained sharply on fresh buying before trading in a narrow range later,” said Nandish Shah of HDFC Securities, noting that PSU banks and metals led the advance while IT lagged.
Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking Ltd said, “Markets traded with volatility… improved buying in heavyweight cyclicals helped indices recover as participants accumulated quality names after recent weakness.”
Weekly performance remained modestly positive despite volatility driven by global cues including US inflation trends, Federal Reserve signals, geopolitical developments and AI-related concerns, according to analysts at Kotak Securities. Banking, capital goods and power stocks led weekly gains, while IT underperformed.
Hariprasad K of Livelong Wealth said the rebound from key support levels reflected “solid buying interest at lower levels… though momentum indicators remain mixed.” Vinod Nair of Geojit Investments Limited noted that resilience in large caps and domestic macro stability provided support despite global uncertainties.
Analysts at Bajaj Broking said the Nifty is likely to consolidate in a 25,000–26,000 range in the near term, with volatility elevated amid geopolitical risks and global rate uncertainty.
Looking ahead, markets are expected to remain range-bound next week, with investors tracking global developments, crude oil movements, foreign flows, and India’s upcoming GDP data for directional cues. Sustaining above key support levels will be critical to preserving the positive bias, while resistance near recent highs may cap upside in the near term.
Published on February 20, 2026