Bull vs Bear: After market crash yesterday, what's aiding Sensex, Nifty recovery today? Reasons, factors
At 1:23 pm, the Sensex was trading 226.67 points higher, or 0.27%, at 82,724.81. The 30-share pack had briefly rallied as much as 634 points in early trade.
- Feb 20, 2026,
- Updated Feb 20, 2026 1:24 PM IST
Domestic equity benchmarks, the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty staged a recovery on Friday, wiping away some of the bitter sting from Thursday's sell-off.
At 1:23 pm, the Sensex was trading 226.67 points higher, or 0.27%, at 82,724.81. The 30-share pack had briefly rallied as much as 634 points in early trade. The Nifty 50 jumped 90.25 points, or 0.35%, to 25,544.60, after touching a day’s high of 25,663.55.
During the previous session, the Sensex had plunged 1,236.11 points (1.48%) to settle at 82,498.14. The Nifty fell sharply by 365 points to close at 25,454.35. That crash was fuelled by profit-booking in key heavyweights at higher levels, alongside global jitters tied to rising US-Iran geopolitical tensions and spiking crude oil prices.
So, what is driving today's U-turn?
Buying interest has in large-cap counters. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) led the charge, rising 2.25% to Rs 4,375. Power players NTPC and Power Grid added 2.24% and 2.21% respectively, while Hindustan Unilever (HUL) climbed 2% and Bharat Electronics gained 1.93%.
Investors are also finding sweet spots in the metals and banking sectors through renewed value buying. PSU banks stock climbed, with shares of Punjab National Bank (PNB), Canara Bank, and Union Bank of India surging nearly 3% each.
A slightly relaxed currency market may offering a supporting recovery too, as the Indian rupee eased to 90.953 against the US dollar, softening from its previous close of 91.038.
From a technical lens, according to domestic brokerage Geojit, the "bearish engulfing candlestick" formed on the charts essentially halted the recent uptrend. However, the brokerage noted that the steepness of the fall may allow a recovery move, ideally towards 25580.
Domestic equity benchmarks, the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty staged a recovery on Friday, wiping away some of the bitter sting from Thursday's sell-off.
At 1:23 pm, the Sensex was trading 226.67 points higher, or 0.27%, at 82,724.81. The 30-share pack had briefly rallied as much as 634 points in early trade. The Nifty 50 jumped 90.25 points, or 0.35%, to 25,544.60, after touching a day’s high of 25,663.55.
During the previous session, the Sensex had plunged 1,236.11 points (1.48%) to settle at 82,498.14. The Nifty fell sharply by 365 points to close at 25,454.35. That crash was fuelled by profit-booking in key heavyweights at higher levels, alongside global jitters tied to rising US-Iran geopolitical tensions and spiking crude oil prices.
So, what is driving today's U-turn?
Buying interest has in large-cap counters. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) led the charge, rising 2.25% to Rs 4,375. Power players NTPC and Power Grid added 2.24% and 2.21% respectively, while Hindustan Unilever (HUL) climbed 2% and Bharat Electronics gained 1.93%.
Investors are also finding sweet spots in the metals and banking sectors through renewed value buying. PSU banks stock climbed, with shares of Punjab National Bank (PNB), Canara Bank, and Union Bank of India surging nearly 3% each.
A slightly relaxed currency market may offering a supporting recovery too, as the Indian rupee eased to 90.953 against the US dollar, softening from its previous close of 91.038.
From a technical lens, according to domestic brokerage Geojit, the "bearish engulfing candlestick" formed on the charts essentially halted the recent uptrend. However, the brokerage noted that the steepness of the fall may allow a recovery move, ideally towards 25580.