Stock Market: How can the market move on 23rd February – stock market outlook for 23rd February 2026 which stocks are top gainers and losers today
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SHARE MARKET TODAY: Indian stock markets made a great comeback on Friday, February 20. After the initial fall, buying returned in the market and Nifty closed above 25,550. The day had started with pressure.
Smallcap Stocks: Shares fell by 40% from all-time high, is now a golden opportunity to increase investment? – smallcap stocks have corrected up to 40 percent from all time high is this right time to invest
Smallcap stocks fall more when the market falls. They rise more when the market is bullish. The market has shown consolidation after making an all-time high at the end of September 2024. This has affected smallcap stocks. A study by Abacus Mutual Fund shows that shares of almost half of the small-cap companies (2,000 to 34,700 market capitalization) are down about 40 per cent from their all-time high. The question is, is this the right time to invest in smallcap stocks?
Market capitalization to quintuple between 2019 and 2025
Between 2019 and 2025, the market capitalization of small cap companies increased from about Rs 16 lakh crore to Rs 83 lakh crore. This is more than the growth of market capitalization of midcap companies and largecap companies. During this period, the share of small cap companies in the stock market increased from 11 percent to almost 19 percent.
17 percent CAG return from 2026 till now
Long term returns of small cap stocks are also strong. The returns from SIP investment in Nifty Smallcap 250 have been around 17 per cent CAGR since 2016. This is more than the 12 percent CAGR return of Nifty 50 during this period. This means that even though small cap stocks may be more volatile in the short term, they perform better in the long term.
Weakness in small cap stocks since last one and a half year
According to Gautam Kalia, Chief Investment Solutions Officer, Mirae Asset Sharekhan, both time and price corrections have been seen in small cap stocks for some time. It is rare to see both types of correction together. He said, “Smallcap stocks have not seen a rise in the last one and a half years. The prices started falling from October-November. Right now the sentiment is weak but the earnings data is encouraging. At the current prices, valuations look fair. They are neither cheap nor expensive right now.”
Advice to avoid hasty and lump sum investment
“The allocation has gone up to around 15 per cent to 25 per cent. But, it is not much. This is the time to slowly invest in smallcap stocks as there could be further downside,” he said. This means that investors should not rush to invest in small cap stocks but should invest slowly and thoughtfully.
SIP investment advice in a disciplined manner
Vijay Maheshwari, CWM and Founder, Stocktick Capital, said that investors can invest in a disciplined manner through SIP without paying attention to the fluctuations in the market. Investing in smallcap stocks increases growth. But their stake in the portfolio should be balanced. He said that large cap stocks provide stability in case of decline. Growth gets support from midcaps. Smallcaps enhance returns with their limited stake in the portfolio.
Invest for at least 7-10 years
Experts say that valuations have come down recently and investment opportunities are visible in many smallcap stocks. But, it would be better to invest gradually rather than lump sum. Smallcap stocks reward patience and discipline. Kalia said that investors can invest for long term through SIP. Long term means investment for at least 7-10 years.
Defense Stocks Rally: Stormy rise in defense stocks, BDL and Data Patterns top gainers, know the reason – defense stocks rally french president emmanuel macron annonces deep defense cooperation bdl data patterns nifty india defense index
There was a strong rise in the shares of defense companies on 20 February. Shares of Bharat Dynamics and Data Patterns rose up to 6 per cent. The reason for this is the increasing cooperation between India and France in the defense sector. French President Emmanuel Macron said on February 19 that India and France will jointly produce Rafale jets and helicopters. Its effect was seen on the shares of Indian defense companies on 20 February.
Rise in Nifty India Defense Index
Nifty India Defense Index At one time it had gone up to 1.3 percent. Later the pace slowed down a bit. At 1:09 pm it was at 8,114 points with a rise of 0.97 percent. Most of the stocks included in the index were in the green. Data Patterns (India) At one time the share had risen by 6 percent. Around 1 o’clock its speed had reduced to 3.35 percent. Bharat Dynamics Its shares had risen by about 3 percent. Around 1 o’clock its price was rising by 2.82 percent.
Shares of these defense companies also rose
Paras Defense And Bharat Electronics Shares also saw a rise of up to 2.5 percent. HAL And GRSE Shares also showed a rise of up to 1.5 percent. A new era of cooperation in the defense sector is about to begin between India and France. India is going to buy 114 more Rafale jets from France. Both the countries are ready to work together in the field of submarines also. Macron had told the media about this at the end of his three-day visit to India.
French President made a big announcement
Macron said, “In the case of Rafale, we want to expand cooperation. India has confirmed a few days ago that it wants to buy another 114 Rafale jets… It wants to jointly produce them in India.” Last week, the Defense Acquisition Council approved the proposal to purchase 114 more Rafales for the Air Force. Apart from this, both the countries also want to increase cooperation in the field of other ships and missiles.
Tremendous recovery in stock market on 20th February
On February 20, a tremendous recovery was seen in the stock market. Trading started with weakness in the morning. But, later the major indices came into the green. At 1:24 pm, Nifty was up 0.35 percent or 92 points at 25,550 points. The Sensex was at 82,732 points with a rise of 029 percent or 224 points. A jump of 8.73 percent, Siemens 5.4 percent, Canara Bank 3 percent were seen.
Stock Market Live Update: Sensex rises 233 points, Nifty around 25550, metal, power shares shine, IT slips – live stock market today February 20 updates bse nse sensex nifty latest news novartis india abb cie automotive ghv infra projects railtel texmaco share price
Stock Market Live Update: Vishnu Kant Upadhyay, AVP – Research Advisory, Master Capital Services
Indian benchmark indices witnessed sharp volatility on Thursday, with Nifty 50 and Sensex falling around 1.50% to close at 25,454.35 and 82,498, respectively. In a single session, the market wiped out the gains accumulated over the past three trading days as investors rushed to book profits.
The decline was mainly due to increasing uncertainty over rising tensions in the Middle East, especially after reports of possible US military action on Iran. The development destabilized global markets and pushed crude oil prices to a three-week high, raising new concerns about inflation.
Sector-wise, weakness was seen across the board, with all major sectors reporting losses. Realty and media stocks were the worst performers, falling 2.56% and 2.23% respectively.
From a technical perspective, the 200-day EMA has now become an important level to watch. Although short-term sentiment remains cautious, the 25,350–25,250 zone is expected to act as a short-covering area. At this stage, the market is not expected to extend its decline below this support band.
Stock market crash! Save money or take advantage of the opportunity? – sensex crashes 1236 points should you keep out of markets or buy on lower levels watch video to know
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Markets Crash: Kwality Walls shares fell 3.75 per cent, Lodha Developers shares fell 3.48 per cent, DLF shares fell 3.04 per cent, InterGlobe Aviation shares fell 3.16 per cent. Shares of India Hotels fell by 3.17 percent and Trent by 2.84 percent.
This IT share can rise up to 77%! – coforge share price may jump 77 percent clsa says saber exposure not a major concern watch video to know more
markets
Coforge Share Price: Global brokerage firm CLSA has maintained its bullish view on IT sector company Coforge. The brokerage believes that the company’s shares can rise by a huge 77% from the current level. CLSA has maintained its “High-Conviction Outperform” rating on the stock
IT will not get much benefit from AI boom? Expert said – real earning opportunities are hidden in these sectors – ai boom may not benefit it services most power equipment hvac and infrastructure sectors seen as real earnings opportunity says expert
AI Related Sectors: Investment is increasing across the world due to the growth of Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI. But Rana Gupta, senior portfolio manager of Manulife Investment Management, believes that the biggest benefits of this race may not be to software exporters, but to those companies which are creating the infrastructure to run AI.
Rana Gupta says that investors are currently focusing excessively on IT service companies. But, the real opportunity lies in the data center and infrastructure to support hyperscaler expansion.
First electricity and machines, later software
Gupta points out that global tech companies are committing hundreds of billions of dollars of capex to win the AI race. This money does not go directly to the software companies. First of all, this expenditure goes in sectors like electricity, power system, equipment and metals.
He clearly said, ‘Tech companies need power for AI… and there are many big players in power systems and metals.’ That means the expansion of AI is dependent on electricity and heavy equipment.
Demand for supporting industries will increase with data center
As hyperscalers are increasing their capacity, the need for data centers is also increasing. Switchgear, backup generators, cables and cooling systems are necessary to run a data center. AI workloads consume a lot of power and have to run continuously without interruption. Besides, temperature control is also very important.
According to Gupta, these supporting industries can get stability of orders and earnings in the long run, as the use of AI is continuously increasing and data centers run 24 hours.
Not semiconductor, but opportunity in power equipment
India may not manufacture semiconductors or memory chips on a large scale, but it has a strong presence in the electrical equipment and engineering supply chain. Gupta particularly sees opportunities in power equipment, generators and HVAC i.e. heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
With the increase in the pace of data center construction, demand in these areas may increase. He believes that the era of AI will look not just like technology but also like an industrial investment cycle.
Need to change perspective on IT service sector
Gupta says that now it would not be right to consider IT service companies as the sole beneficiaries of AI spending. Tech companies are part of a larger ecosystem. Real multi-year and stable order flow can come from companies that are directly involved in capex spending, such as power and infrastructure companies.
Positive signs regarding domestic economy also
Apart from the AI theme, Gupta is also optimistic about the Indian economy. He says that corporate earnings are showing improvement and credit growth is also increasing. Profits of BSE-500 companies have increased by about 11 to 12 percent, which is a sign of strength in economic activity.
In the financial sector, they especially like those banks and financial institutions that provide loans to small and medium businesses. “Within credit growth, we are most optimistic about SME credit,” he said.
Signs of comeback in private investment
According to Gupta, after a long period of slowdown, private sector investment is showing signs of increasing again. Companies are now talking about new investments in data centres, real estate and metals. Besides, the government’s defense expenditure is also increasing.
He said, ‘For the first time after one and a half years, companies have given positive signals regarding capex in the earnings call.’
Improvement in commercial vehicle sector also
The impact of the boom in private investment and construction activities is also visible on the transport sector. After two years of slowdown, demand for commercial vehicles is improving. Both vehicle manufacturers and finance companies can benefit from this.
Gupta says, ‘After two years of slowdown, the commercial vehicle sector seems to have a good runway ahead.’ According to him, the story of AI is not limited to just tech companies. This could become a massive investment wave taking forward multiple sectors like power, infrastructure, engineering, finance and transport simultaneously.
Market outlook: Fear of war in the Middle East has troubled the market, know how it may move on February 20
Disclaimer: The advice or opinions expressed on Moneycontrol.com are the personal views of the expert/brokerage firm. The website or management is not responsible for this. Moneycontrol advises users to always seek the advice of a certified expert before taking any investment decision.
ABB India Q4 Results: Revenue increased, pressure on profit; Shareholders will get a dividend of ₹29 – abb india q4 results revenue beats estimates profit falls 18 percent announces 29 rupees dividend share price and market cap details
ABB India Q4 Results: Industrial technology company ABB India Ltd has released its results for the quarter ending December 2025. This is the fourth quarter result for the company, as it follows a calendar year rather than a fiscal year. The company’s revenue was higher than expected, but profits were under pressure due to rising costs.
Revenue better than expected
ABB India’s revenue grew 5.7 percent year-on-year to Rs 3,557 crore. This is higher than CNBC-TV18’s estimate of Rs 3,436.2 crore.
However, net profit declined by 18 percent to Rs 433 crore. It was Rs 528 crore in the same quarter last year. This was less than the estimate of Rs 442.6 crore.
EBITDA and margin decline
ABB India’s EBITDA declined 17 percent to Rs 545.6 crore. It was Rs 656.7 crore in the same quarter last year. Operating margin fell to 15.3 percent from 19.5 percent. This is less than the estimate of 16 percent.
The company said that rising raw material inflation and labor costs impacted profits. Expenses related to the new labor code also caused pressure on margins.
Huge jump in orders
Despite the decline in margins, ABB India’s order book remained strong. Orders increased 52 percent in the fourth quarter. This is the highest order intake for Q4 in the last five years. According to the company, this increase was due to widespread demand and timely receipt of some big orders.
Record performance for the whole year
ABB India wins highest ever orders in calendar year 2025. Total orders stood at Rs 14,115 crore, while revenue stood at Rs 13,203 crore. Both grew by 8 percent on an annual basis.
Profit before tax margin for the full year was 16.9 percent. Return on Capital Employed was recorded at 21 percent.
Management statement
ABB India Managing Director Sanjeev Sharma said the record order book and revenues reflect the company’s strong execution. However, margins remained under pressure due to fluctuations in input costs.
declaration of dividend
ABB India’s board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 29.59 per share for the year ending December 31, 2025. This will depend on shareholders’ approval.
Status of ABB India shares
ABB India shares closed at Rs 5,715, down 2.83% on Thursday. The company has given a return of 12.77% in 6 months. During the last 5 years it has increased by 275.59%. The market cap of the company is Rs 1.21 lakh crore.
Crude becomes expensive: ONGC and Oil India shares rise by 7%, but HPCL-BPCL fall by 4%
Disclaimer: The advice or opinions expressed on Moneycontrol.com are the personal views of the expert/brokerage firm. The website or management is not responsible for this. Moneycontrol advises users to always seek the advice of a certified expert before taking any investment decision.
Market outlook: Fear of war in the middle east has shaken the market, find out how it might play out on February 20 – market outlook fear of war in the middle east has shaken the market find out how it might play out on February 20
Stock market: Heavy selling was seen in the Indian stock market on Thursday, 19 February. Investors booked profits across all sectors after the recent surge in the market. Due to this, the Sensex fell by 1,470 points in intraday trade. Whereas Nifty was seen going to intraday low of 25,388.75 in today’s trading session. Although the index made some recovery, it finally closed with a big fall. At the end of the trading session, Sensex fell 1,236 points or 1.48 per cent to close at 82,498.14. At the same time, Nifty fell 365 points or 1.41 percent and closed at 25,454.35.
Large-scale selling also affected mid- and small-cap indices. The BSE 150 Midcap index closed down 1.54 percent and the BSE 250 Smallcap index closed down 1.16 percent. Investors lost around Rs 8 lakh crore in a single day as the total market capitalization of BSE listed companies declined to around Rs 464 lakh crore from Rs 472 lakh crore in the previous session.
The biggest falling stocks in Nifty included InterGlobe Aviation, M&M, Bharat Electronics, UltraTech Cement and Trent. While Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, ONGC, HDFC Life and Hindalco Industries were the biggest gainers. All sectoral indices closed in the red with Auto, Capital Goods, Realty, Power, Consumer Durables, Media falling 2-2 per cent each.
How can the market move in future?
Nagaraj Shetty, Senior Technical Research Analyst, HDFC Securities It is said that due to increasing geo-political tension between US and Iran, huge fluctuations were seen in Nifty on Thursday and the market fell by 365 points. After opening on a positive note, Nifty could not hold near the level of 25900 and slipped above it.
A long-range bear candle (about 500 points high low range) has formed on the daily chart which closed near the swing low of February 16. Technically, this market action is indicative of the formation of a ‘Bearish Engulfing’ pattern and a sharp decline in the range of the last four sessions in a single session. This is not a good sign.
Today on Thursday, the short term trend of Nifty has sharply reversed downwards after a slight rise. If it goes below 25400, Nifty may fall to the next support level of 25200-25100 in short term.
Market Experts It says that valuations have come to decent levels for large caps, but remain high for mid and small caps, due to which the market remains range-bound. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Nifty is trading at around 20 times FY2027 estimated earnings, while NSE Midcap and NSE Small-cap indices are trading at 28 and 24 times FY27 estimated earnings, respectively, it said. This makes this market a stock picker’s market. In such a situation, we should focus only on selected quality shares.
Bonanza Research Analyst Abhinav Tiwari It is said that due to geopolitical risk and increase in crude oil prices, there may be more volatility in the market in the short term. However, strong domestic fundamentals suggest that any market correction could be a buying opportunity for long-term investors rather than a signal of a trend change.
Disclaimer: The views expressed on Moneycontrol.com are the personal views of the experts. The website or management is not responsible for this. Money Control advises users to seek the advice of a certified expert before taking any investment decision.