Indian benchmarks recorded a second consecutive session of gains on February 17, 2026, as the market rebounded from an initial cautious opening. Despite early jitters fueled by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, strong buying in IT, financial, and consumer goods sectors pushed the indices into positive territory. The BSE Sensex climbed 173.81 points, or 0.21%, to finish the day at 83,450.96. The Nifty 50 followed a similar trajectory, gaining 42.65 points, or 0.17%, to settle at 25,725.40. Both indices have now advanced approximately 1% over the last two trading days, reflecting a steady recovery after recent volatility. The Information Technology sector was a primary driver of the day's momentum. The Nifty IT index surged nearly 2% in response to significant corporate developments. Leading the charge was Infosys, which saw its share price rise 2.79% to 1,403.70. This rally was sparked by the company's announcement of a strategic partnership with the AI safety firm Anthropic to develop industry-specific solutions for regulated sectors. Financial and consumer stocks also provided essential support to the frontline indices. Heavyweight ITC rose 2.34%, while Larsen & Toubro added 1.77%. In the broader market, Fractal Analytics saw significant action following its recent listing. After a weak debut, the stock rebounded sharply by 6% to reach an intraday high of 897.10, bolstered by positive analyst coverage and a long-term growth forecast for the AI-driven analytics provider. Market sentiment remains influenced by a mix of domestic resilience and global headwinds. While domestic institutional investors provided a cushion with net purchases of 1,667 crore, foreign institutional investors remained cautious, offloading equities worth 972 crore. Economic indicators continue to play a critical role in shaping investor outlook. India's headline inflation for January was reported at 2.75%, while WPI inflation stood at 1.81%. Investors are also weighing a widening trade deficit, with January imports rising to 90.83 billion against exports of 80.45 billion. Technical indicators suggest the short-term trend for the Nifty remains bullish as long as it stays above the 25,450 support level. Market volatility, as measured by the India VIX, dropped 4.93% to 12.67, indicating a temporary easing of near-term concerns as the market focuses on corporate earnings and emerging technology partnerships.