Market Brief: India Equities Stability Check Indian equity benchmarks maintained a neutral stance on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as the **Nifty 50** struggled to find direction, hovering near the **25,700** mark. The **Sensex** tracked a similar path, trading marginally lower around **83,390** levels. This sideways movement follows a period of heightened volatility where the market is balancing between local earnings strength and global uncertainty. Critical Technical Zones Technical analysts identify the **25,780** to **25,800** range as a formidable resistance barrier for the Nifty. A sustained move above this level is required to trigger a fresh rally toward the **26,000** psychological milestone. On the flip side, immediate support is established at **25,550**. If the index fails to hold this cushion, a deeper correction toward **25,300**—the 200-day exponential moving average—remains a distinct possibility. Divergent Sectoral Performance The market is currently characterized by high "churn," with capital rotating rapidly between sectors. * **Metals and PSU Banks:** Leading the gainers today, with the Nifty Metal index jumping over **1.30%** as commodity prices stabilize. PSU Banks saw a surge of more than **2%**, continuing their recent outperformance. * **Information Technology:** Facing persistent pressure due to uncertainty surrounding global software disruptions. Large-cap IT names like Infosys and TCS remain volatile as institutional investors seek more attractive valuations. * **Energy and Services:** These sectors underperformed in today's session, with energy stocks sliding as global crude benchmarks fluctuate near **$67.48**. Liquidity and Sentiment Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have shown early signs of a strategy shift. While they were net sellers of over **₹41,000 crore** in January, they turned net buyers in mid-February, recording an inflow of **₹995.21 crore** in a single recent session. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) continue to provide a floor to the market, supported by steady SIP inflows. The India VIX, a gauge of market nervousness, has cooled significantly by nearly **5%** to settle around **12.27**. This drop suggests that while the indices are flat, the immediate fear of a sharp crash is receding. Investors are advised to move away from broad index bets and focus on bottom-up stock selection. Value is currently emerging in sectors with high earnings visibility, such as pharmaceuticals, telecom, and select automobiles, while momentum remains focused on the mid-cap and small-cap space, which outperformed the frontline indices today.