Sensex, Nifty Edge Higher As AI Summit Buzz Lifts Sentiment

Indian equity benchmarks opened with mild gains on Thursday, extending their steady recovery for a fourth straight session, as discussions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi continued to draw attention.

At 9:30 a.m., the Sensex was up 35 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 83,769, while the Nifty advanced 30 points, or 0.12 per cent, to 25,850. Broader markets mirrored the positive trend, with the Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.20 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 0.34 per cent.

Sectoral performance remained mixed. Nifty IT led the gains, climbing 1 per cent, followed by Nifty Metal, which added 0.60 per cent. Nifty Private Bank was the top laggard, slipping 0.15 per cent.

Market participants indicated immediate support for Nifty in the 25,650–25,700 zone, while resistance is seen at 25,950–26,000. For Bank Nifty, support is placed between 61,250 and 61,350, with 61,750–61,850 acting as a key resistance band.

Analysts attributed the recent rally to sustained strength in banking and financial stocks, along with momentum in select energy, metal and consumer segments.

Strong domestic institutional investor inflows have helped stabilise markets and absorb volatility, though near-term sentiment may remain cautious amid selective profit booking and uncertainty in the IT sector linked to global AI disruptions.

Global Cues And Institutional Activity

Asian markets remained largely subdued due to the Lunar New Year holidays. In mainland China, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange will stay closed until February 23, while the Hong Kong Stock Exchange remains shut until February 19.

US markets ended higher overnight, with the Nasdaq rising 0.78 per cent, the S&P 500 gaining 0.56 per cent and the Dow Jones adding 0.26 per cent.

On February 18, foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 1,154 crore, while domestic institutional investors purchased shares worth Rs 440 crore.

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