NIFTY50, SENSEX today: Wall Street cues, oil prices, FII activity: Key things to know before markets open on February 26

Benchmark equity indices SENSEX and NIFTY50 ended marginally higher on Wednesday, trimming most of their sharp intraday gains, amid profit-taking.

After a volatile day of trading, the 30-share BSE SENSEX ended 50.15 points or 0.06% higher at 82,276.07. During the day, it jumped 731.99 points or 0.89% to 82,957.91.

The 50-share NSE Nifty went up by 57.85 points, or 0.23%, to settle at 25,482.50.

From the SENSEX pack, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, InterGlobe Aviation, Sun Pharma, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Tech Mahindra were among the biggest gainers.

Wall Street Update

US equities advanced on Wednesday, supported by gains in NVIDIA and Oracle, extending the rally from the previous session.

The S&P 500 rose 0.81% to close at 6,946.13, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.26% to 23,152.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 307.65 points, or 0.63%, to settle at 49,482.15.

The software sector continued its upward momentum. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV), which had risen nearly 2% in the prior session, added another 3% on Wednesday, with stocks such as Palantir Technologies and Microsoft posting gains.

NVIDIA Q4 earnings: AI major beats estimates

NVIDIA reported better-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter, driven by strong growth in its core data centre business. The stock initially rose in extended trading before trimming most of its gains.

Total revenue jumped 73% year-on-year to $39.3 billion. The company now derives over 91% of its revenue from the data centre segment, which houses its market-leading artificial intelligence chips.

Data centre revenue stood at $62.3 billion for the quarter, ahead of StreetAccount estimates of $60.69 billion.

Net income nearly doubled to $43 billion, or $1.76 per share, compared with $22.1 billion, or 89 cents per share, in the year-ago period, the company said in a press release.

Guidance also topped expectations. NVIDIA projected fiscal first-quarter revenue of $78 billion, plus or minus 2%, compared with analysts’ estimates of $72.6 billion. The company added that its forecast does not assume data centre revenue from China.

Asian Markets Update

Asian markets traded higher on Thursday morning, tracking the overnight rally on Wall Street led by technology stocks.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 surged 1.1% to hit a fresh all-time high of 59,199.31, marking its third consecutive session of record closes. The rally was partly attributed to the so-called “Takaichi trade", reflecting investor optimism around policy continuity and market-friendly measures.

The broader Topix index gained 1.45%, also scaling a new peak, as gains were broad-based across sectors.

Regional sentiment remained upbeat after strong earnings-driven momentum in US tech stocks boosted risk appetite across global markets.

Crude oil prices

Oil prices edged higher prior to US-Iran nuclear talks, with a few major Middle Eastern producers boosting exports on the back of concerns regarding a potential conflict in the region, creating uncertainty about future supply.

West Texas Intermediate traded close to $66 a barrel, and Brent settled under $71.

FII, DII data

According to the NSE, FIIs net bought shares worth ₹2,991.64 crore in the capital market segment on Wednesday, while DIIs net bought equities worth ₹5,118.57 crore.

Stocks To Watch

Institutional investors placed bids for over 22.34 crore IRFC shares, which is 94.98% of the over 23.52 crore shares reserved for them in the offer for sale (OFS).

Following this, the company said that the promoter has decided not to exercise the greenshoe option of up to 2%.

The floor price for the QIP has been set at ₹2,630.60 per equity share, with the company permitted to offer a discount of up to 5% in consultation with the appointed lead manager.

The interim dividend for the financial year 2025-26 will be paid to those shareholders whose names appear in the Register of Members of the company or in the records of the Depositories as beneficial owners of the shares determined with reference to the Record Date of Friday, March 06, 2026.

It will be paid to the shareholders on or before Friday, March 27, 2026.

Ecopure is a step-down subsidiary of the company.