NIFTY50, SENSEX today: Wall Street cues, FII activity, key things to know before markets open on February 17

The Indian equity benchmarks are set to stage a gap down opening on Tuesday, February 17, as indicated by GIFT NIFTY futures. NIFTY futures at GIFT City in Ahmedabad dropped 91 points to 25,626 amid subdued cues from Asian markets.

The Indian equity benchmarks snapped their three-day losing streak on Monday, February 16, led by gains in index heavyweights like HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries, Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, power Grid, ITC and State Bank of India. The SENSEX rose as much as 1,057 points from the day's lowest level and NIFTY50 index touched an intraday high of 25,697 after hitting low of 25,373.

The SENSEX ended 650 points higher at 83,277 and NIFTY50 index advanced 212 points to close at 25,683.

Asian markets

Asian shares were trading on a mixed note on Tuesday amid rising geopolitical tensions after Iran conducted naval exercises near a critical shipping corridor before talks with the US resume later Tuesday, news agency Bloomberg reported.

Japan's Nikkei fell 0.93% while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index advanced 0.32%. Markets in China, Hong Kong and South Korea were shut on account of holiday.

Gold, silver price update

Gold and silver prices fell for a second straight session on Tuesday as spot gold in the international market dropped below $5,000 mark per ounce while spot silver futures declined nearly 3% to $74 per ounce.

Markets analysts will keep an eye on economic data from US and minutes of the Federal Reserve's January meeting due tomorrow.

FII/DII activity

Foreign institutional investors sold shares worth ₹972 crore on Monday while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth ₹1.667 crore, data from the National Stock Exchange showed.

The FIIs have so far this month bought shares worth ₹13,582 crore, according to the data from National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL).

Stocks to watch

In its filing to stock exchanges, Cochin Shipyard said that at the meeting held Monday at the Ministry of Defence, New Delhi, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has been declared as L1 in the tender floated by the Ministry of Defence for the construction of 5 nos. of Next Generation Survey Vessels (NGSV) for the Indian Navy.

The estimated total order value is around ₹5,000 crore.

In one filing, the company said that it has received an order from South Western Railway for undertaking comprehensive annual maintenance and breakdown restoration of Overhead Equipment (OHE) and power supply installations across the Mysore Division for a period of two years, covering 1,046 track kilometres (TKM) of electrification infrastructure and associated electrical assets.

The total contract value is ₹27.67 crore (inclusive of GST), equivalent to approximately ₹23.45 crore (excluding GST). Under the mandate, Texmaco will undertake routine, emergency, and preventive maintenance to ensure reliable, efficient, and uninterrupted operation of traction power systems across the division.

In another update, Texmaco said that Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd has awarded an order of ₹219.18 crores for the design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of signalling equipment/gears in connection with the construction of the proposed line in Mumbai Suburban under (MUTP-IIIA).

Located in Thal Village, Alibaug, Embassy Serenity is envisioned as a resort-style retreat that combines tranquillity with excellent connectivity to Mumbai via upgraded road and ferry infrastructure. Often referred to as the ‘Hamptons of Mumbai’, Alibaug has evolved into a preferred second-home destination for high-end homebuyers seeking greenery and exclusivity, away from the city bustle.

DeslaFlex™ is an innovative antidepressant formulation developed by Spektus using the proprietary Flexitab™ oral drug-delivery platform.

This strategic partnership combines Lupin’s strong commercial footprint in Canada and Spektus’s capabilities in developing differentiated, novel formulations to successfully introduce DeslaFlex™ and establish a robust platform for future launches.

The collaboration further strengthens Lupin’s CNS portfolio with physician-endorsed, value-added therapies, well aligned with a supportive regulatory environment.

The aerospace and defence market in India, estimated at approximately $28 billion, is among the most dynamic and profitable segments within industrial supply chains, driven by sustained demand for complex, regulated, and mission-critical logistics and procurement services.

Besides, a phased expansion is planned for major hubs, including Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Goa, aiming to eliminate tailpipe emissions and align with India's PM E-DRIVE objectives for a cleaner transportation future, the company said.

As part of the collaboration, the 'EV-as-a-Service' leasing model will eliminate high upfront costs and technical barriers and ensure that the shift to an electrified last-mile ecosystem is both operationally seamless and financially lucrative for the gig workforce, Delhivery said.

Delhivery already operates a substantial EV fleet, with close to 1,000 electric two-, three-, and four-wheelers added in recent years.

As part of its strategy, Britannia will have a "startup mentality" to compete with small players having influence in small pockets, said Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer Rakshit Hargave.

"We are going to be fighting regional competition, and we are going to be investing in e-commerce; yes, that will require more funds. We are committed to investing in that. We believe that the opportunity for us to drive topline better is definitely there," said Hargave in an investors' call.

This partnership will significantly expand RCPL’s global footprint by establishing its presence in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest consumer markets, said a joint statement.

Through this partnership, which is subject to customary legal and regulatory clearances, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) will introduce its FMCG products to consumers in Nigeria, leveraging TGI's FMCG manufacturing and distribution experience and network, it added.

"The partnership between RCPL and Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group aims to strengthen RCPL’s market presence on the global stage," it said.

Likely to be ready by 2030, the facility earmarks a significant step in further strengthening the company's advanced manufacturing footprint in India, reinforcing its long-term commitment to digitalisation, sustainability, and resilient supply chains, the company said in a statement.

"The planned 'Factory of the Future' in Pune reflects our conviction that India's manufacturing moment is now, and SKF India Industrial intends to lead it from the front," Sujeeth Pai, Director of Manufacturing Operations for India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East (ISEAM), SKF India (Industrial), said.

Currently, IIFL Finance's standalone total external borrowing stands at ₹5,937 crore, of which external loans are ₹2,257 crore and dollar bonds are ₹3,680 crore, Nirmal Jain, Managing Director and Founder of the company, told reporters.

"Our ECB and foreign currency borrowings currently account for 13% of total borrowings. We intend to raise this to 20% in the next fiscal year and plan to mobilise a significant amount over the next few months," Jain said.

In a regulatory filing, the company informed that the acquisition would be an all-cash deal and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026.

The acquisition is expected to further strengthen BLS E-Services' banking relationships with key public sector banks and several private sector banks, it said.

The deal is "based on the equity value of ₹154 crore of Atyati".

The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) completed a pre-approval inspection on February 13, 2026, at the manufacturing facility of Enzene Biosciences, the drug firm said in a regulatory filing.

"At the conclusion of the inspection, the USFDA issued a Form 483 with 6 procedural observations," it added.

The company has achieved zero observations related to data integrity, a critical validation of its quality systems and the reliability of regulatory filings, Alkem stated.

Trade setup

On the technical charts, the hourly charts show a sharp bounce back from lower levels, but continued to face resistance at the 50-EMA levels of 25,682. The index crossed 20 EMA levels and the charts show a potential positive crossover of 20 EMA crossing 50 EMA. Experts believe the index could regain positive momentum if it closes above the 50 EMA on Tuesday.

On the options data front, the 25,500 puts witnessed heavy open interest addition ahead of the weekly expiry and held the highest open interest, indicating a strong support for the index on the downside. On the flipside, the 26,000 calls held the highest open interest, indicating a strong resistance for today’s expiry.