Synopsis: Shares of Infosys Ltd (NSE: INFY) surged over 4% to an intraday high of ₹1,410 on February 17, 2026, leading a broad-based recovery in the IT sector. The “Zero-Minute” fact is that a landmark strategic collaboration with US-based AI giant Anthropic—focusing on “Agentic AI” and the integration of Claude models into Infosys Topaz—has effectively neutralized the “AI-Disruption” panic that wiped out ₹5 Trillion in sector wealth last week.
On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Infosys emerged as the primary catalyst for a sentiment reversal on Dalal Street, with its stock price gaining as much as 4%. This sharp rebound follows a brutal period where the IT heavyweight touched a 52-week low of ₹1,281.50 just days prior. The trigger for the rally was the dual announcement of a high-stakes partnership with Anthropic and the company’s Investor AI Day 2026, where CEO Salil Parekh unveiled a roadmap to turn AI from a threat into a multi-billion dollar revenue stream.
The Nifty IT Index mirrored this optimism, jumping 2% to recover from its worst weekly slide in nearly a year. All ten constituents of the index traded in the green, signaling that institutional investors are moving from “panic selling” to “selective value buying” at multi-year support levels.
Why did Infosys stock surge today?
The primary driver is the Strategic Tie-up with Anthropic. By integrating Anthropic’s Claude models (including Claude Code) into the Infosys Topaz platform, the company is positioning itself as a leader in “Agentic AI.” Unlike traditional chatbots, these “agents” are designed to autonomously execute complex, multi-step tasks like claims processing and compliance reviews—directly addressing fears that AI would replace the service-led models of Indian IT.
Furthermore, the “1-2-1” rule of market recovery was evident: one massive global partnership (Anthropic), two technical triggers (Oversold RSI and Value Buying), and one clear strategic vision from the Investor AI Day. With the stock trading at a P/E ratio of 19.7x—well below its historical average—the Aam Aadmi and FPIs alike found the “Risk-Reward” ratio too attractive to ignore, leading to a ₹17,000 Crore jump in market capitalization.
Infosys & IT Peer Performance: Feb 17 Recovery
| IT Giant | Intraday Gain (%) | Current Price (NSE) | Status |
| Infosys | 4.21% ↑ | ₹1,410.95 | Top Gainer |
| HCL Tech | 1.77% ↑ | ₹1,487.70 | Recovery |
| TCS | 1.12% ↑ | ₹2,737.00 | Value Buying |
| Wipro | 1.05% ↑ | ₹215.49 | Stable |
The “Analyst Consensus” on Infosys & AI
Market veterans suggest that the “Anthropic Deal” is the first step in re-rating the Indian IT sector for the AI era.
- Motilal Oswal: Maintains a constructive view, stating that Infosys is well-placed to benefit from enterprise-wide AI spending, with “upside risks now meaningfully outweighing downside risks.”
- Angel One: Technical Analyst Rajesh Bhosale noted that the bounce is driven by “Oversold” conditions. While the recovery is strong, the next major hurdle for the stock sits at ₹1,450.
- Anthropic CEO View: Dario Amodei highlighted that the gap between a “demo AI” and a “regulated industry AI” requires the deep domain expertise that only firms like Infosys possess in telecom and finance.
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The Bottom Line
The 4% surge in Infosys is a definitive signal that the “AI-Panic” has peaked. By partnering with the very technology that was supposed to “disrupt” it, Infosys has turned the narrative on its head. For the Aam Aadmi investor, the focus remains on whether the stock can sustain above ₹1,400 to confirm a long-term trend reversal.
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