Sensex Rises 173 Points, Nifty Above 25,700; PSU Banks Outperform Amid Mixed Cues

• Indian equities closed mildly positive for the second consecutive day on February 16, with benchmark indices moving in a narrow range.
• BSE Sensex gained 173.81 points (0.21%) to 83,450.96, while NSE Nifty rose 42.65 points (0.17%) to 25,725.40.
• PSU Bank index jumped 2.11%, leading sectoral gains, with IT stocks up 1.03% and FMCG adding 0.90%.
• Broader markets outperformed frontline indices, indicating sustained risk appetite; Smallcap 100 gained 0.56%, Microcap 250 advanced 0.99%.
• Market volatility eased further, with India VIX falling 4.93% to 12.67, signaling reduced hedging activity.