Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, opened in green on Thursday, February 19, 2026, amid strong global cues. While the 30-share BSE Sensex gained 235.57 points to start the session at 83,969.82, the Nifty added 54 points to open at 25,873.35. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 83,734.25 and the Nifty 50 at 25,819.35. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the green in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index gained 5.50 points, or 0.03 per cent, in the early trading session, the BSE Smallcap Select Index was up by 32.45 points or 0.41 per cent, to trade at 7,880.60.
From the Sensex pack, HCL Tech, Infosys, TCS, Tech Mahindra and Tata Steel were among the gainers with HCL Tech leading the pack by gaining 1,67 per cent in the early trade. On the other hand, Indigo, Bajaj Finance, Adani Ports, Axis Bank and Kotak Bank were among the losers with Indigo shedding 1.72 per cent in the opening trade.
In early trade, market breadth was positive, with 1,685 stocks advancing against 824 stocks declining on the NSE. 80 stocks remained unchanged.
What did Gift Nifty indicate?
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a flat to positive start as it opened with a gain of 16.5 points at 25,822.50, compared to the previous close of 25,806. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned buyers in the last trading session and offloaded equities worth Rs 995.21 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also bought equities worth Rs 440.34 crore.
Asian Markets Today
Asian stocks gained after US stock market ticked higher on Wednesday, led by its most influential stock, Nvidia. While Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 459.16 points or 0.80 per cent to trade at 57,603, Meanwhile, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea were among markets closed for Lunar New Year holidays.
