Trump Tariffs Tantrum: Tariff Raised from 10% to 15%
The US Supreme Court struck down the global tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump as unconstitutional, but later, Trump signed an executive order invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary 10% global tariff. Trump then raised this new global rate to 15%, the maximum allowed under Section 122.
Stocks to Watch on Monday: Highway Infrastructure, Bharti Airtel, IDFC First Bank, and Others
The stock-specific actions are likely to continue, and here is the list of stocks to watch out for on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Company
| Key Update
| Amount / Impact
|
Highway Infrastructure
| Road development contract under Town Planning Scheme-08 (Indore)
| ₹69.68 crore
|
Bharti Airtel
| Launched AI & Cyber Threat Research Centre – India with Zscaler Inc
| Strategic cybersecurity initiative
|
Allcargo Terminals
| January volume at 63,400 TEUs
| +8% YoY, -5% MoM
|
IDFC First Bank
| Fraudulent transactions linked to Haryana govt accounts; forensic audit by KPMG
| ₹590 crore exposure
|
Sudarshan Pharma Industries
| GST search & seizure at Mumbai office
| Operations normal; under review
|
Institutional Flows – FIIs and DIIs
On February 20, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers, having sold equities worth ₹934.61 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), on the other hand, bought shares totalling ₹2,637.15 crore during the same session.
FIIs have made a streak of selling for two consecutive trading sessions.
Friday’s Market Action
On Friday, Indian equities closed higher, supported by broad-based buying across most sectors.
The Sensex rallied 316.57 points, or 0.38%, to close at 82,814.71, while the Nifty 50 settled 116.90 points, or 0.46%, higher at 25,571.25.
RBI MPC Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Reserve Bank of India Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting showed that strong growth and easing inflation prompted policymakers to keep rates unchanged in February. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the current policy rate remains appropriate, citing buoyant growth, benign inflation, and improving external conditions
Wall Street Closed Higher on Friday
The US stock market closed higher on Friday after investors reacted to the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down President Donald Trump’s tariff measures.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 230.81 points, or 0.47%, to 49,625.97. The S&P 500 gained 47.62 points, or 0.69%, to 6,909.51, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 203.34 points, or 0.90%, to close at 22,886.07.
Among major stocks, Nvidia rose 1.02%, Advanced Micro Devices declined 1.58%, Amazon climbed 2.56%, Apple gained 1.54%, and Meta Platforms advanced 1.69%.
US GDP & Inflation Data
US economic growth slowed sharply in the fourth quarter, with GDP expanding at a 1.4% annualised pace, below the 3.0% estimate and slower than the 4.4% growth recorded in the third quarter. For the full year, the economy grew 2.2%.
Inflation, however, came in stronger than expected. The core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rose 0.4% in December, above forecasts of 0.3%. On a year-on-year basis, core PCE inflation accelerated to 3.0%, up from 2.8% in November.
US–Iran Nuclear Talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there is a “good chance” of reaching a diplomatic, win-win solution on the nuclear issue. He indicated that talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to take place in Geneva.
Dollar
The dollar fell as traders took the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs as supportive for global growth.
Commodities – Gold, Silver and Crude Oil
Gold jumped 1% to above $5,160 on Monday, reaching its highest point in over three weeks as renewed tariff worries prompted a rush to safe-haven assets.
Silver climbed 2% to trade above $86 per ounce on Monday, extending gains to a fourth session.
WTI crude oil futures fell below $66 per barrel on Monday, retreating slightly from a six-month high, as investors weighed the likelihood of a US–Iran nuclear deal, with further negotiations expected later this week.
Also Read: Gold Price Today in India
