Mumbai, Feb. 16 -- Benchmark equity indices finished firmly higher on Monday, buoyed by robust buying in banks and financial counters. The Nifty reversed its two-day slide and settled above the 25,650 mark after a sharp intraday recovery.

The session began on a cautious note amid mixed global signals, with the Nifty slipping to 25,372.70 in early trade. However, strong domestic buying quickly reversed the trend, triggering a steady upmove through the day. Gains gathered momentum in the latter half of the session, lifting the index to an intraday high of 25,697 before it closed near the day's peak.

The S&P BSE Sensex, jumped 650.39 points or 0.79% to 83,277.15. The Nifty 50 index rallied 211.65 points or 0.83% to 25,682.75. The 50-unit i...