On Monday, Indian markets fell due to rising tensions between Israel and Iran, with the Sensex down by 212.85 points.
Markets closed in the red on Monday as escalating tensions between Israel and Iran dampened investor sentiment, with the benchmark Sensex settling 212.85 points or 0.26 per cent lower at 81,583.30 and the Nifty 50 declining 93.10 points or 0.37 per cent to 24,853.40. The IT sector emerged as the sole gainer, while pharma and metal stocks led the decline amid global uncertainty.
“The Nifty opened on a flat note despite heightened global uncertainty stemming from escalating tensions in the Middle East,” said Sundar Kewat, Technical and Derivatives Analyst at Ashika Institutional Equity. “Climbing crude oil prices weighed on market sentiment by intensifying inflation concerns, particularly for India, which is the world’s second-largest oil importer.”
Market breadth remained weak with 2,482 stocks declining against 1,497 advances on the BSE. The broader indices underperformed significantly, with Nifty Midcap 100 falling 0.66 per cent to 58,379.30 and Nifty Next 50 declining 0.71 per cent to 66,996.45.
Among the top gainers, Tech Mahindra led with a 1.66 per cent surge, followed by Infosys (0.87 per cent), Asian Paints (0.86 per cent), Maruti Suzuki (0.54 per cent), and TCS (0.45 per cent). On the downside, Adani Enterprises fell 2.31 per cent, Eicher Motors dropped 2.06 per cent, Dr. Reddy’s declined 2.00 per cent, Tata Motors shed 1.99 per cent, and Sun Pharma lost 1.91 per cent.
Sectoral performance was broadly negative, with IT being the only sector to close in positive territory with a 0.7 per cent gain. The pharma sector came under heavy selling pressure, declining more than 1.5 per cent following US President Donald Trump’s remarks on the imposition of tariffs on pharmaceutical imports.
The rupee weakened against the dollar amid the global uncertainty. “Rupee traded weak by 0.18 rupees at 86.22 as rising risk sentiment from escalating Israel-Iran tensions weighed on the currency,” said Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst at LKP Securities. “Additionally, crude oil prices rose amid concerns that tensions near the Strait of Hormuz may disrupt supply, further dampening rupee sentiment.”
Banking stocks also faced pressure, with Nifty Bank declining 0.41 per cent to 55,714.15. Market volatility remained relatively subdued with India VIX cooling off by over 2.5 per cent to 14.47.
Ajit Mishra, SVP Research at Religare Broking, said “Markets remained lackluster and ended nearly half a percent lower, continuing the ongoing consolidation phase. In the absence of any major domestic events, global cues—such as updates on ongoing geopolitical tensions and the outcome of the FOMC meeting—will guide the market trend and are likely to keep volatility elevated.”
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, highlighted the impact of rising crude prices. “The benchmark equity index experienced moderate losses amid rising risk of an escalation of conflicts in the Middle East ahead of the FOMC meeting,” he said. “This uncertainty pushed Brent crude prices higher—an unfavourable development for India, given its heavy reliance on oil imports.”
Looking ahead, market participants are closely watching the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision scheduled for Wednesday. “Investor focus now shifts to the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision, slated for Wednesday, which could set the tone for global risk assets,” Kewat emphasized. The trading range for the rupee is expected between 85.75 and 86.55, while analysts expect continued rangebound movement in equity markets until clarity emerges on both geopolitical and monetary policy fronts.
Published on June 17, 2025
