Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Thursday (April 23, 2026) as crude oil prices once again breached the $100 per barrel mark amid stalled U.S.–Iran negotiations.

Foreign fund outflows and weak trends in Asian equities also dragged the markets lower.

The 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 532.83 points to 77,983.66 in opening trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 175.75 points to 24,202.35.

“Oil markets remain a key concern, with Brent crude once again breaching the USD 100 mark and trading in the USD 100–106 per barrel range. The move reflects stalled US–Iran negotiations and the continuation of blockades on Iranian ports, raising concerns over potential disruptions to global supply,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Tech Mahindra, Eternal, InterGlobe Aviation, Mahindra & Mahindra, Asian Paints and Infosys were among the major laggards.

Sun Pharma and Power Grid were the only winners.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 1.36% higher at $103.3 per barrel.

“With total uncertainty becoming the new normal there is no clarity on the near-term direction of the market. With the duration of the war going beyond everyone’s initial expectations and the price of Brent crude bouncing back to USD 103 there is increasing risk to global growth in general and higher risk to India’s macros in particular,” V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹2,078.36 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s benchmark Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index were trading lower.

“The primary overhang continues to be geopolitical developments in the Middle East. Recent escalation in the US–Iran situation, including reports of naval confrontations and renewed warnings of potential strikes, has significantly increased uncertainty. The risk surrounding the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global energy corridor—has pushed Brent crude prices above the USD 100 per barrel mark,” Hariprasad K, Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, said.

U.S. markets ended higher on Wednesday.

On Wednesday (April 22, 2026), the Sensex tanked 756.84 points or 0.95 per cent to settle at 78,516.49. The Nifty dropped 198.50 points or 0.81 per cent to end at 24,378.10.

Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) as relentless foreign fund outflows and geopolitical tensions weighed on investors’ sentiment.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 311.33 points to 82,934.85 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 99.5 points to 25,486.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Eternal, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, InterGlobe Aviation, Trent and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards.

However, Kotak Mahindra Bank, State Bank of India, UltraTech Cement and ITC were among the gainers.

Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth ₹3,262.82 crore on Monday (January 19), while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained buyers as they bought stocks worth ₹4,234.30 crore, according to exchange data.

“Heightened geopolitical tensions, along with persistent foreign investor selling and continued weakness in the rupee, are weighing on confidence and likely to cap any meaningful upside in domestic equities even during short-term recoveries. Steady buying by domestic institutional investors continues to act as a key stabiliser, absorbing selling pressure and helping prevent deeper drawdowns in the market,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, said.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi index traded higher, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index quoted lower.

U.S. markets were closed on Monday (January 19) for a holiday.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, went up by 0.11% to $64.01 per barrel.

On Monday (January 19), the Sensex declined 324.17 points or 0.39% to settle at 83,246.18. The Nifty dropped 108.85 points or 0.42% to 25,585.50.

The rupee depreciated 8 paise to 90.98 against the American currency in early trade on Tuesday (January 20, 2026), as strong dollar demand from metal importers and persistent foreign fund outflows dented investor sentiment.

Forex traders said rising geopolitical uncertainty, including renewed U.S. expansionary signals, has increased risk aversion and kept emerging market currencies under pressure.

Moreover, a sluggish domestic stock market triggered by an exodus of foreign capital, they said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 90.91 and lost ground to trade at 90.98 against the greenback, down 8 paise from its previous close.

On Monday (January 19), the rupee depreciated by 12 paise to close at 90.90 against the greenback, a tad above its record low closing level. On December 16, 2025, the rupee reached its lowest intra-day level of 91.14 and its lowest closing level of 90.93 against the American currency.

“The U.S. Supreme Court will be giving a decision on the legality of the Trump Tariffs, which will affect the world markets directly. Presently, all the markets are in risk-off mode with Gold and Silver getting bought as safe havens,” said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director at Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.44% lower at 98.95.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.11% higher at $64.01 per barrel in futures trade.

On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 311.33 points to 82,934.85 in early trade, and the Nifty dropped 99.5 points to 25,486.

Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth ₹3,262.82 crore on Monday (January 19), according to exchange data.

“Foreign investors have withdrawn more than $3 billion from Indian equities so far in January, and the steady outflow has made the rupee increasingly sensitive to even modest dollar demand. With capital moving out, stability becomes harder to defend,” CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said.

Mr. Pabari further noted that the ongoing global uncertainty, combined with a sustained break above 91.07, could pave the way for a move toward the 91.70–92.00 zone, unless offset by active intervention from the RBI. On the downside, any corrective move is likely to find initial support in the 90.30–90.50 range.

The rupee recovered from a low level and traded with a gain of 12 paise at 90.66 against the U.S. dollar in early deals on Monday (January 19, 2026), tracking a retreating greenback against major overseas rivals.

However, persistent outflow of foreign funds from domestic equity markets and higher crude oil prices overseas amid a volatile geopolitical situation kept investors cautious, forex analysts said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 90.68 and gained further to trade at 90.66 against the greenback, registering a gain of 12 paise from its previous closing level.

The rupee crashed 44 paise to settle near its lowest level at 90.78 against the U.S. dollar on Friday (January 16), after losing 17 paise in the preceding two sessions.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.21% lower at 98.99.

Analysts said that the domestic currency found support amid a sell-off in dollar after U.S. President Donald Trump announced imposing tariffs on European countries if they resist his plan to buy Greenland.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.17% higher at $64.24 per barrel in futures trade.

On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex declined 482.80 points or 0.58% to 83,087.55, while the Nifty fell 129.30 points or 0.50% to 25,565.05.

Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth ₹4,346.13 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty were trading lower after rallying in early trade on Tuesday (January 13, 2026) amid unabated foreign fund outflows and selling in blue-chip stocks.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 379.86 points to 84,258.03 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty went up by 109.55 points to 25,899.80.

But, soon after both the benchmark indices gave up all initial gains and were trading lower. The 30-share BSE quoted 244.98 points lower at 83,627.36, and the Nifty traded 74.30 points down at 25,716.70.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Larsen and Toubro, HCL Tech, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Steel were among the biggest laggards.

Country’s largest IT services exporter TCS on Monday (January 12, 2026) reported a 13.91% drop in December quarter profit at ₹10,657 crore, majorly on a one-time impact of new labour codes.

IT services firm HCL Tech on Monday (January 12) reported a 11.2% decline in consolidated net profit to ₹4,076 crore in the October-December quarter of FY26.

From the 30-share pack, Eternal, Tech Mahindra, State Bank of India and HDFC Bank were among the gainers.

Meanwhile, retail inflation rose to a three-month high of 1.33% in December, mainly due to higher prices of food items, but remained below the Reserve Bank of India’s lower tolerance level.

Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth ₹3,638.40 crore on Monday (January 12), while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth ₹5,839.32 crore, according to exchange data.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi index, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index traded higher, while Shanghai’s SSE Composite index quoted marginally lower.

U.S. markets ended in positive territory on Monday (January 12, 2026).

Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower on Monday (December 29, 2025) due to selling in oil & gas and IT shares, foreign fund outflows and thin year-end trading.

Extending the downtrend to the fourth day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined by 345.91 points or 0.41% to settle at 84,695.54. During the day, it dropped 403.59 points or 0.47% to 84,637.86.

Registering its third day of decline, the 50-share NSE Nifty edged lower by 100.20 points or 0.38 per cent to 25,942.10.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Adani Ports, HCL Tech, Power Grid, Trent, Bharat Electronics and Bharti Airtel were among the biggest laggards.

However, Tata Steel, Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever, and Eternal were among the gainers.

“The market appears short on catalysts for further upside, with investors largely in holiday mode, signalling a potential consolidation phase in the near term,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said that market sentiment continues to be guided by global cues and stock-specific developments. “Trading volumes remained light, with participants preferring selective exposure rather than broad-based positions in the absence of any major triggers.” In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi jumped over 2 per cent. Shanghai’s SSE Composite index settled marginally higher, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ended lower. Equity markets in Europe were trading mostly lower.

U.S. markets ended flat on Friday (December 26, 2025).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹317.56 crore on Friday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth ₹1,772.56 crore, according to exchange data.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 1.70% to $61.67 per barrel.

The rupee depreciated eight paise to close at 89.98 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Monday (December 29), weighed down by foreign fund outflows and a negative trend in domestic equities.

Forex traders said persistent capital withdrawals from foreign investors, alongside heightened dollar demand from importers, dented investor sentiments.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit opened at 89.95 against the dollar and touched an intra-day low of 89.99 and a high of 89.88.

At the end of Monday’s trading session, the rupee was quoted at 89.98 (provisional) against the greenback.

On Friday, the rupee depreciated 19 paise to close at 89.90 against the U.S. dollar.

“Traders may watch out for Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes and core PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) price index data from the U.S. this week. USDINR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 89.60 to 90.20,” said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset ShareKhan.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading marginally higher by 0.02% at 98.03, as most markets are in a holiday mood and trading volumes are thin, limiting big moves and keeping the DXY range-bound.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 1.48% higher at $61.54 per barrel in futures trade, amid thin year-end trading and ongoing concerns about global demand.

Forex traders said the USD/INR pair is trading under pressure due to multiple factors, including a shift toward risk aversion, driven by persistent capital withdrawals from foreign investors ahead of the holiday break, alongside heightened greenback demand from importers.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said that India and the U.S. remain engaged in concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.

Meanwhile, India’s forex reserves jumped $4.368 billion to $693.318 billion during the week ended December 19, the Reserve Bank said on Friday (December 26, 2025).

The overall kitty had increased $1.689 billion to $688.949 billion in the previous week.

The rupee depreciated 17 paise to 90.11 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Thursday (December 11, 2025) as prevailing risk-averse market sentiment, compounded by a high U.S. dollar demand from importers, dented investor sentiments.

Forex traders said the rupee is likely to trade with a negative bias on muted domestic markets and sustained foreign fund outflows.

Moreover, investors are also awaiting cues from the U.S.-India trade talks, which could boost the rupee in the coming days.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 89.95 against the U.S. dollar, then lost ground and fell to 90.11 against the American currency, registering a fall of 17 paise from its previous close.

On Wednesday (December 9, 2025), the rupee settled at 89.87 against the U.S. dollar.

“The U.S.-trade team has said that they have got the best proposal from India which could show up as positive for the rupee, though overall we may see it crumble under the short positions once the trade deal is finalised,” said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer has said the U.S. has received “best” ever offers from India on the proposed trade agreement amid commencement of two-day talks here between the two countries.

Speaking at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday (December 9, 2025) in Washington, Greer said that there is resistance in India to certain row crops and other meat and products. Row crops in the U.S. include corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton.

These remarks are important as both sides are trying to conclude the first phase of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

The range for USD/INR for the day is 89.70 to 90.20, with FPIs still sellers in the Indian market, Bhansali added.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.15% lower at 98.63, after the FED cut rates and gave a not-so-hawkish guidance.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.22% higher at $62.35 per barrel in futures trade.

On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 80.15 points higher at 84,471.42, while the Nifty was up 34.40 points at 25,792.40.

Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth ₹1,651.06 crore on Wednesday (December 10, 2025), according to exchange data.

The rupee depreciated 32 paise to an all-time low of 89.85 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Tuesday (December 2, 2025), weighed down by the broad strength of the American currency in overseas markets and persistent foreign fund outflows.

Forex traders said strong dollar demand from corporates, importers and foreign portfolio investors pressurised the rupee. Moreover, elevated crude oil prices further dented investor sentiments.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 89.70 against the U.S. dollar before dropping to record low level of 89.85, down 32 paise from its previous close.

On Monday (December 1, 2025), the rupee after sinking to 89.79 in intraday trade, settled at 89.53 against the U.S. dollar.

“The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been selling dollars in the market, but it has also bought dollars when Indian rupee rose thus keeping the demand intact,” said Anil Kumar Bhansali, head of treasury and executive director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.

Mr. Bhansali further noted that, the fundamentals of the Indian economy like a high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 8.2% have been overweighed by the dollar demand.

“The uncertainties surrounding the India-U.S. trade deal have not helped the matters and have actually aggravated the dollar buying syndrome,” Mr. Bhansali said.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 99.41.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 0.03% at $63.15 per barrel in futures trade. On the domestic equity market front, the benchmark sensitive index Sensex declined 223.84 points or 0.26% at 85,418.06, while the Nifty was trading lower by 59 points or 0.23% at 26,116.75.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth ₹1,171.31 crore on Monday (December 2, 2025), according to exchange data.