Dalal Street Back In Red As Sensex Crashes Over 550 Points, Nifty Tests 24,600

Persistent geopolitical tensions in West Asia, elevated crude oil prices and mixed global cues are expected to keep investors on edge. Investors appear to be adopting a wait‑and‑watch approach.

The cautious opening follows Thursday’s strong rebound, when Indian markets recovered from a multi‑day losing streak as global equities stabilised and volatility eased.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Indian markets opened lower Friday amid global tensions.
• Geopolitical risks and oil prices create investor caution.
• Indices rebounded Thursday after a multi-day losing streak.

Indian equity markets are set to open on a cautious note on Friday, with benchmark indices indicating mild losses in the pre-open session after a sharp rebound in the previous trading day. The BSE Sensex rang the opening bell below 79,500, crashing a little over 550 points, while the NSE Nifty50 started trading around 24,600, tanking more than 150 points, as of 9:15 AM.

Persistent geopolitical tensions in West Asia, elevated crude oil prices and mixed global cues are expected to keep investors on edge. Investors appear to be adopting a wait‑and‑watch approach.

At around 9:09 AM in the pre-open session on Friday, the Sensex was trading at 79,658.99, down 356.91 points or 0.45 per cent, while the Nifty50 stood at 24,656.40, lower by 109.50 points or 0.44 per cent, suggesting a weak start for domestic equities.

The cautious opening follows Thursday’s strong rebound, when Indian markets recovered from a multi‑day losing streak as global equities stabilised and volatility eased after the sharp sell-off triggered by geopolitical concerns earlier in the week.

On the 30-share Sensex, the gainers in the morning hour included BEL, Reliance, TCS, Tech M, HCL Tech, and Infosys. Meanwhile, all the other stocks remained in red, with ICICI Bank, IndiGo, L&T, UltraTech Cement, and Tata Steel leading the pack.

In the broader markets, the Nifty Bank slipped 0.86 per cent, while the Nifty Microcap250 inched up 0.29 per cent. Sectorally, the IT index soared 1.35 per cent and the Private Bank index bled 0.91 per cent.

Geopolitical Tensions And Oil Prices In Focus

Market participants remained wary as persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raised concerns about renewed inflationary pressures globally. Higher energy prices could complicate the outlook for monetary policy if inflationary trends strengthen.

Crude oil prices climbed above the $80 per barrel mark overnight. Although Brent futures eased slightly on Friday, trading at $84.64, the elevated price levels continued to keep investors cautious.

Global Markets Offer Mixed Signals

Overseas markets presented a mixed picture. In Asia, China’s Shanghai index rose 0.25 per cent and Shenzhen gained 0.8 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng advanced 1.72 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped marginally by 0.02 per cent, and South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.77 per cent.

Wall Street Ends Lower

US markets closed in negative territory overnight. The Nasdaq dropped 0.26 per cent, the S&P 500 declined 0.56 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.61 per cent, reflecting risk aversion among investors.

Institutional Flows Remain In Focus

On the domestic front, institutional flows continued to influence market direction. On March 5, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers of equities worth Rs 3,752 crore, according to exchange data. In contrast, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) purchased shares worth Rs 5,153 crore, providing some support to the market.

Sensex, Nifty Rebound After Multi‑Day Slide

Benchmark indices ended Thursday’s session with gains of more than 1 per cent, snapping their recent losing streak. The Sensex jumped 899.71 points, or 1.14 per cent, to close at 80,015.90.

During intraday trade, the index surged as much as 1,187.64 points, or 1.50 per cent, to touch 80,303.83 before trimming some gains toward the close.

The Nifty also recovered strongly, climbing 285.40 points, or 1.17 per cent, to settle at 24,765.90, ending its three-session decline.

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