:::LALKAR GROUP::::

GIFT Nifty:

GIFT Nifty February 2026 futures were up 19.00 points, suggesting a positive start for the Nifty 50 today.

Institutional Flows:

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 102.53 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,161.22 crore in the Indian equity market on 24 February 2026, provisional data showed.

The FIIs have bought shares worth Rs 1,369.93 crore in the cash market so far in February (till 23 February 2026). This is in contrast to their cash sales of Rs 41,435.22 crore in January 2026 and Rs 34,349.62 crore in December.

Global Markets:

Asian markets edged higher with South Korea and Japan stocks hitting record highs Wednesday, after a tech-driven rally on Wall Street that was fueled by easing concerns around artificial intelligence-led disruption to select industries.

U.S. equities rose on Tuesday, led by gains in Advanced Micro Devices and software stocks, as investors' fears around artificial intelligence disruption to certain industries eased.

The S&P 500 advanced 0.77% to close at 6,890.07, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.04% and settled at 22,863.68. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 370.44 points, or 0.76%, and ended at 49,174.50.

Shares of AMD jumped 8.8% after Meta Platforms announced a multiyear deal with the semiconductor company. The new partnership entails deploying up to 6 gigawatts of AMD's graphics processing units for AI data centers. Meta will also invest in AMD through a performance-based warrant for up to 160 million shares of the chipmaker.

Domestic Market:

Indian benchmark indices suffered a major setback on Tuesday, as a brutal sell-off in the information technology sector dragged the market into the deep red. The expiry of monthly F&O contracts on the NSE intensified volatility.

The primary catalyst for the decline was a massive rout in IT heavyweights, triggered by fears of AI-led disruption after Anthropic's Claude Code tool raised concerns about the long-term viability of the traditional labor-arbitrage model.

Adding to the gloom were renewed global trade anxieties following U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of universal tariffs and escalating geopolitical tensions that led the Brent crude towards the $72-per-barrel mark. By the closing bell, the carnage had wiped out over Rs 4 lakh crore in investor wealth, leaving only a few defensive sectors like metals and FMCG in positive territory.

The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 479.95 points or 0.58% to 83,294.66. The Nifty 50 index gained 141.75 points or 0.55% to 25,713. In the two consecutive trading sessions, the Sensex and Nifty jumped 0.95% and 1.01%, respectively.