Stocks in News & Key Economic Updates 18th Feb 2026 by GEPL Capital Ltd
Stocks in News
* BHARTI AIRTEL: The company's arm, Airtel Money, receives RBI approval for registration as a Type-II NBFC.
* MAITHAN ALLOYS: The company acquires strategic stakes in several public sector banks, including Rs 25 crore in Bank of Baroda (0.02%), Rs 20 crore in Bank of India (0.03%), and Rs 30 crore in Canara Bank (0.02%).
* DILIP BUILDCON: The company is declared the L-1 bidder for a Gujarat government tender valued at Rs 668 crore.
* SAATVIK GREEN ENERGY: The company secures orders worth Rs 44.1 crore for the supply of solar photovoltaic modules.
* SYNGENE INTERNATIONAL: Nippon India Mutual Fund increases its stake in the company to 5.08% after acquiring an additional 2.6% stake.
* PANAROMA STUDIOS: The company has signed an MoU with Ada 360 Degree to secure theatrical rights for the Hindi film Shatak across India and international markets.
* TATA MOTORS: The company completes the sale of its equity and preference shares in Roppen Transportation Services to MIH Investments One BV.
* BLUE CLOUD SOFTTECH: The board will meet on February 20 to consider the acquisition of a 100% stake in a company via a share swap.
* BHEL: The company secures a Letter of Award worth between Rs 1,200–1,500 crore from SAIL for a Captive Power Plant (CPP) package.
* INFOSYS: The company unveils its AI First Value Framework, aiming to capture a share of an estimated $300 billion AI services opportunity.
* VENTIVE HOSPITAL: The company's arm completes the 100% stake acquisition of Finest-VN Business Park for Rs 59.8 crore.
* HEXAWARE TECHNOLOGIES: The company launches an open version of RapidX and enters into a pact with Replit for a rapid prototyping platform.
Economic News
* States urged to expedite capex proposals, use up funds before March 31: The government is pushing states to quickly approve and implement projects under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure scheme. Over ?1.04 lakh crore has already been released. With the March 31 deadline approaching, the focus is on timely utilization of the remaining funds. This initiative supports infrastructure spending by states.
Global News
* Federal Reserve’s Michael Barr signals prolonged rate pause amid persistent inflation risks and stable but fragile labor market: Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr signaled that rate cuts are unlikely in the near term, with policy expected to remain steady until there is clear evidence that goods inflation is sustainably easing and inflation risks move closer to the 2% target. While the labor market has stabilized, he described it as being in a delicate balance and vulnerable to shocks. Despite prior rate cuts to 3.5%–3.75%, persistent inflation partly driven by trade tariffs under Donald Trump—remains a concern, warranting vigilance. On AI, Barr noted it is currently driving productivity and internal job reallocation rather than widespread layoffs, is unlikely to justify rate cuts, and that AI investment appears largely insensitive to interest rate movements.
Government Security Market:
* The Inter-bank call money rate traded in the range of 4.50%- 5.20% on Tuesday ended at 4.60%.
* The 10 year benchmark (6.48% GS 2035) closed at 6.6600% on Tuesday Vs 6.6678% on Monday.
Global Debt Market:
U.S. Treasury yields inched lower on Tuesday as investors looked ahead to more delayed data releases during the holiday-shortened trading week. The 10-year Treasury yield dropped more than 2 basis points to 4.029%, and the 30-year Treasury bond yield dipped 2.7 basis points to 4.672%. The 2-year Treasury note yield was 1 basis point lower at 3.397%. The bond market was closed for Presidents’ Day on Monday, and Tuesday is shaping up to be a quiet start to the week for investors, who are awaiting several economic data releases. Investors are anticipating the FOMC minutes on Wednesday, which they will parse for insights on the last interest rate decision and future monetary policy. They are also expecting more delayed economic data this week, including housing data for November and December on Wednesday, as well as December’s personal consumption expenditures index on Friday, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge. Traders are currently pricing in a 90% chance of the Fed keeping interest rates unchanged in a range between 350- 375, per the CME FedWatch Tool.
10 Year Benchmark Technical View :
The 10 year Benchmark (6.48% GS 2035) yield likely to move in the range of 6.65% to 6.6675% level on Wednesday.
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