Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tanked 1 per cent on Thursday, in tandem with weak global market trends amid growing tensions in the Middle East.
Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters
The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 823.16 points or 1 per cent to settle at 81,691.98.
During the day, it plunged 991.98 points or 1.20 per cent to 81,523.16.
The broader NSE Nifty tumbled 253.20 points or 1.01 per cent to 24,888.20.
Fresh foreign fund outflows also dented investors’ sentiment, traders said.
From the Sensex firms, Tata Motors, Titan, Eternal, Power Grid, Tata Steel, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra and Hindustan Unilever were among the biggest laggards.
Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints and Tech Mahindra were the gainers.
In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi and Shanghai’s SSE Composite index settled in the positive territory, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended lower.
Equity markets in Europe were trading in the negative territory.
US markets ended lower on Wednesday.
“Consolidation in domestic markets is evolving into a broad-based trend, now extending to large-cap stocks.
“Valuation concerns and rising oil prices — driven by Middle East tensions — are fuelling risk aversion among investors.
“Adding to the uncertainty, the US is considering unilateral tariff hikes on several key trading partners, with a decision expected within the next one to two weeks, ahead of an early July deadline,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.
Meanwhile, a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed in a residential area minutes after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon. Many people were feared killed.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 446.31 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd, said, “A host of factors triggered a massive slump in local benchmarks, as investors exited stocks at will weighed down by weak global sentiment coupled with the possibility of Israel attacking Iran and renewed tariff threat by US President Donald Trump.”
Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 1.43 per cent to $68.77 a barrel.
