Sensex dives 1,836 points, Nifty slides to 22,512 on global market woes

Equity markets suffered a severe setback on Monday, as domestic indices mirrored global turmoil triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East. The 30-share BSE Sensex plunged 1,836.57 points , or 2.46 per cent, closing at 72,696.39 , while the 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 601.85 points , or 2.60 per cent, to 22,512.65 .

The volatile session saw Sensex touch an intraday low of 72,558.44 , down 1,974.52 points , as investors reacted to escalating geopolitical tensions and surging crude oil prices. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 0.97 per cent to USD 113.3 per barrel , stoking fears of energy supply disruptions.

Among Sensex constituents, Titan bore the brunt with a 6.24 per cent fall. Trent, UltraTech Cement, Bharat Electronics, InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Steel, and HDFC Bank were also significant laggards. On the brighter side, IT giants HCL Tech, Infosys, Tech Mahindra , and Power Grid managed modest gains.

Asian markets mirrored the domestic slump. South Korea’s Kospi plummeted 6.49 per cent , while Japan’s Nikkei 225 , Shanghai’s SSE Composite , and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng all ended sharply lower. European markets traded deep in red, and Wall Street had closed significantly weaker on Friday.

“Domestic markets witnessed a sharp decline, reflecting broader weakness in Asia amid escalating Middle East tensions and fears of disruptions in global energy supplies. Investor caution increased following Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd.

Concerns over rising global bond yields, signaling inflationary pressures and fiscal risks, combined with the rupee falling to record lows , further dampened sentiment. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 5,518.39 crore on Friday, although Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) stepped in with purchases of Rs 5,706.23 crore . So far this month, foreign investors have withdrawn approximately Rs 88,180 crore (USD 9.6 billion) from Indian equities.

Markets had ended the previous week on a positive note, with Sensex gaining 325.72 points and Nifty rising 112.35 points on Friday. However, Monday’s sharp correction highlighted how quickly global uncertainties can ripple through domestic markets.