After opening the day lower, Indian benchmarks pared some losses as the session progressed and ended the day marginally lower.

Benchmark equity indices gyrated in a narrow band, albeit with a negative bias on Tuesday tracking cues from global peers.

At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex closed lower by 29 points (down 0.04%).

Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty closed 14 points lower (down 0.1%).

Wipro, ONGC, and Tech Mahindra are among the top gainers today.

Trent, M&,M and IndusInd on the other hand, were among the top losers today.

The GIFT Nifty was trading at 22,949, down by 61 points at the time of writing.

The BSE MidCap index is trading 0.2% lower and the BSE SmallCap index ended 1.8% lower

Sectoral indices were trading mixed with stocks in the IT sector and the oil & gas sector witnessing buying. Meanwhile, the stocks in the capital goods sector and FMCG sector witnessing selling pressure.

The rupee is trading at 86.93 against the US$.

Gold prices for the latest contract on MCX are trading 0.5% higher at Rs 85,500 per 10 grams.

Meanwhile, silver prices were trading 0.5% higher at Rs 96,066 per 1 kg.
 

Why Gillette India Share Price is Rising?

In news from the FMCG sector, Gillette India's share price saw a notable rise of over 16% on 18 February, driven by positive investor reactions to the company's Q3 earnings.

The personal care company reported a 21% year-on-year increase in net profit for the December quarter, reaching Rs 1.3 bn, up from Rs 1 bn in the same period last fiscal.

Revenue also grew by 7.2%, amounting to Rs 6.9 bn in Q3, compared to Rs 6.4 bn in the previous year.

The growth was primarily fueled by the company's grooming segment, which saw an 11% year-on-year increase in sales, compensating for a decline in the oral care business.

BHEL Shares Fall 5% Amid Arbitration

Moving on to news from the engineering sector, shares of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) fell 5% on 18 February following news of an arbitration initiated by Ducon Technologies for a claim amounting to Rs 300 million (m) and associated interests.

In a filing with the stock exchange, BHEL informed that Ducon Technologies Inc. and Ducon Infratechnologies (formerly Ducon Technologies (I)) have raised a claim of US$ 30,89,179.05 and Rs 37,864,057.8, along with interest, against BAP-Ranipet.

An arbitrator was appointed by the Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA) on 17 February 2025, and BHEL is currently defending the matter.

BHEL, one of India's leading power plant equipment manufacturers, specializes in the design, engineering, manufacturing, installation, testing, commissioning, and servicing of a broad range of products and services.

The company serves crucial sectors such as power, transmission, industry, transportation, renewable energy, oil & gas, and defence. Being a government-owned enterprise, BHEL plays a pivotal role in the country's engineering and manufacturing landscape.
 

Rategain Shares Plunge 8%

Moving on to news from the IT sector, shares of Rategain Travel Technologies saw an 8% decline on February 18 after the company revised its revenue growth forecast for FY25 for the second time.

This marks the eighth consecutive session of losses for the stock.

The company lowered its revenue growth projection for FY25 to 12-13%, down from the previous estimate of 15%, following an earlier revision from an initial 20% forecast. The revision was attributed to deal delays and cautious enterprise spending, especially in the US and European markets.

Despite the downward revision, Rategain reported a 40% increase in net profit to Rs 565 m for the latest quarter, driven by an 11% year-on-year rise in revenue to Rs 2.8 bn. EBITDA rose 21% to Rs 620 m, with margins improving to 22.2% from 20% in the prior year.

However, the company expects challenges in Q4, projecting single-digit growth for the last quarter of FY25, largely due to prolonged decision-making cycles and a slowdown in discretionary spending.

Chairman and MD Bhanu Chopra linked the delays to strategic restructuring and heightened caution among clients, particularly in politically sensitive regions.

He also cautioned that current margin levels may not be sustainable in the near term, given the increased investment in sales and marketing infrastructure.
 

TVS Supply Chains Shares Gain 8%

Moving on, TVS Supply Chain Solutions shares saw an 8% increase in early trading on 18 February , following news of TVS Motor Company's block deal purchase, according to data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

The block deal, executed on Monday, saw TVS Motor acquire stakes after Allanzers Fin Net sold 2,000,000 shares at Rs 128.86 per share.

Both TVS Motor and TVS Supply Chain Solutions are part of the TVS Group, which offers end-to-end logistics and supply chain management services to both global and domestic customers.

Raviprakash Bhagavathula, Global CFO of TVS SCS, mentioned during the earnings call that the supply chain businesses in India and North America have maintained steady margins in Q3.

In Europe, margins are expected to normalize by Q1FY26. The NS segment saw a notable sequential improvement in margins by 140 bps. Additionally, efficient working capital management and cost rationalisation initiatives have contributed to positive cash flow in Q3.

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