Domestic benchmark equity indices closed lower on Monday as renewed US-Iran tensions and fading hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough weighed on investor sentiment, while participants remained cautious ahead of India’s GDP growth data.
The Nifty 50 ended at 24,080.40, down 95.25 points or 0.39 per cent, while the BSE Sensex settled at 76,957.27, declining 307.24 points or 0.40 per cent.
Rising geopolitical tensions pushed crude oil prices higher, raising concerns over inflation, interest rates and corporate profitability. Brent crude rose 3.34 per cent to USD 91 a barrel at the time of reporting amid concerns over energy supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The market decline was limited by buying in select stocks and expectations of healthy first-quarter FY27 GDP growth, stronger festive demand and improved GST collections.
Among Nifty 50 stocks, ICICI Bank, Grasim, Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries and Maruti were among the major gainers. Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, Eternal, Tata Steel and Hindalco were among the prominent losers.
Most sectoral indices ended in the red, with Nifty Media falling 2.84 per cent, Nifty Metal declining 2.37 per cent, Nifty IT losing more than one per cent, Nifty Realty slipping 1.26 per cent and Nifty PSU Bank declining 1.06 per cent.
Gold prices fell around one per cent to Rs 1,54,700 per 10 grams for 24-karat gold, while silver was marginally lower at Rs 2,35,789 per kg.
In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 0.35 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.27 per cent and Taiwan’s weighted index slipped 0.44 per cent. Singapore’s Straits Times gained 0.97 per cent, while South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.46 per cent.
