Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty fell for the fourth consecutive trading session on Monday, pressured by heavy selling in FMCG, financial, and auto stocks amid rising crude oil prices and renewed geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 508.40 points, or 0.68 per cent, to close at 74,267.34. During intraday trade, the index swung sharply between a high of 75,367.93 and a low of 74,203.68, reflecting a volatile session with a range of over 1,100 points.
Similarly, the 50-share NSE Nifty slipped 165.15 points, or 0.70 per cent, to settle at 23,382.60, extending its losing streak to four straight sessions.
Among Sensex constituents, major laggards included Hindustan Unilever Limited, ITC Limited, NTPC Limited, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Bajaj Finance Limited. On the other hand, select IT and metal stocks provided some support, with Tech Mahindra Limited, Infosys Limited, Tata Consultancy Services Limited, InterGlobe Aviation Limited, HCL Technologies Limited, and Tata Steel Limited among the gainers.
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The global crude benchmark Brent crude rose 3.34 per cent to trade at USD 94.16 per barrel, adding to inflationary concerns and weighing on investor sentiment. Market analysts said the sell-off was driven by escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, particularly renewed hostilities involving the United States and Iran, which have heightened fears of broader regional instability.
“Indian equity markets ended lower as renewed hostilities between the US and Iran reignited concerns over regional stability, with the conflict now entering its fourth month and the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed,” said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.
He added that the Nifty opened marginally higher but soon came under sustained selling pressure as hopes of a near-term diplomatic resolution faded, reinforcing a risk-off sentiment across markets. In a fresh escalation, the United States reportedly struck radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran downed an American drone over the weekend. Iran responded with counter strikes, while Kuwait reported incoming fire, further intensifying regional tensions. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, the conflict continues to see intermittent flare-ups.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, said the sustained geopolitical uncertainty has triggered risk aversion among investors.
He noted that while recent escalations, including cross-border tensions involving Israel and Lebanon, have pressured markets, participants are still cautiously hopeful about possible diplomatic breakthroughs in the coming period.
Broader markets also remained weak, with the BSE MidCap Select index falling 1.44 per cent and the BSE SmallCap Select index declining 0.72 per cent.
Sector-wise, power stocks dropped 2.90 per cent, followed by capital goods (2.44 per cent), utilities (2.12 per cent), industrials (2.11 per cent), realty (2.03 per cent), and FMCG (2.02 per cent). In contrast, IT, energy, metal, and focused IT indices managed to post gains.
Market breadth remained negative, with 2,761 stocks declining, 1,589 advancing, and 199 remaining unchanged on the BSE. Over the past four trading sessions, the Sensex has fallen 2,221.62 points (2.90 per cent), while the Nifty has lost 649.10 points (2.70 per cent).
In global markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended higher, while China’s Shanghai Composite closed lower. European markets were trading in the green, and US markets had ended higher in the previous session.
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