Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty drifted lower in early trade on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) as elevated crude oil prices and fresh U.S.-Iran tensions weighed on investors’ sentiment.

Growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could keep monetary policy tighter for longer are also weighing on risk appetite across emerging markets, an expert said.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 121.48 points to 76,835.79 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dipped 52.6 points to 24,027.80.

Among the 30 Sensex firms, Bajaj Finserv, InterGlobe Aviation, Titan, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finance and Axis Bank were among the major laggards. ITC, HCL Tech, Bharti Airtel and Infosys were among the winners.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 0.76% higher at $91.22 per barrel.

“Indian equity markets are expected to remain cautious as renewed US-Iran tensions and the resulting rebound in crude oil prices continue to cloud investor sentiment. Adding to the cautious backdrop, growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could keep monetary policy tighter for longer are weighing on risk appetite across emerging markets,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

Offsetting some of these external headwinds is the resilience of the domestic economy. India’s real GDP expanded 7.8% in the first quarter of FY27, comfortably exceeding both the RBI’s 7% projection and market expectations, he added.

India’s economy grew at a faster-than-expected 7.8% in the April-June quarter, showing resilience in the face of concerns that the war in Iran and resulting global uncertainty could weigh on domestic economic momentum.

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

U.S. markets ended lower on Monday (August 31, 2026).

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹7,985.88 crore on Monday (August 31, 2026), according to exchange data.

On Monday (August 31, 2026), the Sensex declined 307.24 points, or 0.40%, to settle at 76,957.27. The Nifty dropped 95.25 points, or 0.39%, to end at 24,080.40.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rallied in early trade on Thursday (August 14, 2025) amid buying in blue-chip stocks such as HDFC Bank and TCS, along with a positive trend in the U.S. markets.

Extending its previous day’s rally, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 154.07 points to 80,693.98 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty went up by 45 points to 24,664.35.

From the Sensex firms, Infosys, Sun Pharma, Asian Paints, HDFC Bank, Maruti and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) were among the major gainers.

However, Tata Steel, Bharat Electronics, NTPC and Adani Ports were among the laggards.

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

The U.S. markets ended higher on Wednesday (August 13, 2025).

“The market will be in a wait-and-watch mode looking for clues from the Trump-Putin summit,” V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.34% to $65.85 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹3,644.43 crore on Wednesday (August 13, 2025), while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth ₹5,623.79 crore, according to exchange data.

On Wednesday (August 13, 2025), the Sensex climbed 304.32 points or 0.38% to settle at 80,539.91. The Nifty edged up by 131.95 points or 0.54% to 24,619.35.