Equity markets stayed on the back foot for the second day on Friday (May 8, 2026) as fresh geopolitical tensions in West Asia revived concerns over energy supplies and weighed heavily on investor sentiment.

Foreign fund outflows and a weak trend in global markets further added to the bearish trend.

The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 516.33 points, or 0.66%, to settle at 77,328.19. During the session, it tumbled 698.09 points, or 0.89%, to 77,146.43.

The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 150.50 points, or 0.62%, to end at 24,176.15.

From the Sensex pack, State Bank of India tanked 6.62% after its March quarter earnings.

HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, UltraTech Cement and Mahindra & Mahindra were also among the laggards.

However, Titan jumped 4.76% after the leading jewellery and watchmaker reported a 35.36% increase in its consolidated net profit to ₹1,179 crore for the March quarter of FY26.

Asian Paints, Adani Ports, Infosys and HCL Tech settled in the positive territory.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded around $100 per barrel.

“Markets witnessed a risk-off session following fresh U.S.-Iran military action near the Strait of Hormuz, which weakened ceasefire hopes and triggered profit booking. However, stability in crude oil prices around $100 per barrel and benign U.S. 10-year yields continue to provide support to the broader sentiment and the rupee,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

Though the road ahead is slightly bumpy, optimism around a possible diplomatic resolution persists, he added.

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

Markets in Europe were trading in negative territory.

U.S. markets ended lower on Thursday (May 7).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹340.89 crore on Thursday (May 7), according to exchange data.

In the previous session, Sensex ended 114 points lower at 77,844.52. The Nifty dipped 4.30 points to end at 24,326.65.

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Thursday (January 8, 2026) amid persistent foreign fund outflows and concerns about potential U.S. tariff hikes.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 255.86 points to 84,705.28 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty went down by 65.9 points to 26,074.85.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Tata Consultancy Services, Asian Paints, Maruti, Tech Mahindra, Infosys and UltraTech Cement were among the biggest laggards.

However, ICICI Bank, Adani Ports, Bharat Electronics and Hindustan Unilever were among the gainers.

Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth ₹1,527.71 crore on Wednesday (January 7, 2026), while domestic institutional investors bought stocks worth ₹2,889.32 crore, according to exchange data.

“From the fundamental perspective, there is good news for the economy and markets. Advanced estimates project the FY26 GDP growth at an impressive 7.4%. This reflects the underlying resilience of the economy despite Trump tariffs. However, this strong fundamental is unlikely to reflect in the market very soon since the much-awaited U.S.-India trade deal, which is critical for India’s sustained growth and macro-economic stability, is not happening. This and the continuing FII selling are impacting the market,” V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

The Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.4% in the current fiscal, maintaining its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy despite punitive U.S. tariffs and geopolitical tensions.

The First Advance Estimates released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) put GDP growth in 2025-26 (April 2025 to March 2026 fiscal year) at better than 7.3% forecast by the RBI and the government’s initial projection of 6.3-6.8%.

“With both the Nifty and Bank Nifty holding key support levels but encountering stiff overhead resistance, market sentiment remains cautious amid elevated geopolitical tensions, renewed tariff-related concerns, and continued foreign portfolio outflows,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, said.

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

U.S. markets ended mostly lower on Wednesday (January 7, 2026).

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, climbed 0.40% to $60.20 per barrel.

On Wednesday (January 7, 2026), the Sensex declined 102.20 points or 0.12% to settle at 84,961.14. The Nifty went down by 37.95 points or 0.14% to 26,140.75.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Friday (October 24, 2025) amid profit-taking after almost a week-long rally and fresh foreign fund outflows.

The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 153.18 points to 84,403.22 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dipped 51.1 points to 25,840.30.

Both the benchmark indices hit their 52-week highs on Thursday (October 23, 2025).

From the Sensex firms, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, Power Grid, Eternal and Adani Ports were among the major laggards.

However, Bharat Electronics, ICICI Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Steel were among the gainers.

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

U.S. markets ended in positive territory on Thursday (October 23).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹1,165.94 crore on Thursday (October 23), according to exchange data. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) however, were buyers as they bought equities worth ₹3,893.73 crore in the previous trade.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude dipped 0.47% to $65.68 a barrel.

Rising for the sixth straight session on Thursday (October 23), the Sensex climbed 130.06 points or 0.15% to settle at 84,556.40. The Nifty ended 22.80 points or 0.09% higher at 25,891.40.