Shares tumble as Middle East tensions spark global sell-off
Domestic equity benchmarks ended sharply lower today as rising geopolitical tensions rattled investor sentiment. The sell-off followed reports of Israeli military strikes on Iran, stoking fears of broader conflict in the oil-rich Middle East and pushing crude oil prices higher. The nervousness spilled across global markets, triggering widespread risk-off mood. Back home, the Nifty slipped below the 24,750 mark, weighed down by losses in banking and FMCG stocks.
The S&P BSE Sensex slumped 573.38 points or 0.70% to 81,118.60. The Nifty 50 index fell 169.60 points or 0.68% to 24,718.60. The 50-unit index has fallen 1.68% in two consecutive sessions.
Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone (down 2.71%), HDFC Bank (down 1.15%) and Reliance Industries (down 0.83%) were major drags.
The broader market outperformed the frontline indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index slipped 0.32% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index dropped 0.30%.
The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,516 shares rose and 2,469 shares fell. A total of 138 shares were unchanged.
The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, soared 7.59% to 15.08
Numbers to Track:
The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper rose 0.45% to 6.305 from the previous close of 6.277.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 85.0700 compared with its close of 85.5200 during the previous trading session.
MCX Gold futures for 5 August 2025 settlement advanced 1.55% to Rs 99,925.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.51% to 97.970.
The United States 10-year bond yield gained 0.39% to 4.373.
In the commodities market, Brent crude for August 2025 settlement jumped $6.14 or 8.85% to $75.50 a barrel.
Global Markets:
US stock futures nosedived on Friday, with Dow Jones futures plunging 492 points, after media outlets reported that Israel had launched military strikes on Iran, specifically targeting its nuclear facilities. The reports emphasized that the US was not involved in the operation.
Israel?s Defense Minister declared a nationwide state of emergency, saying, Following the State of Israel?s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future.
European and Asian markets tumbled on Friday as tensions escalated following Israel?s military strike on Iran?s nuclear program, prompting Iran to vow retaliation and weighing heavily on global sentiment.
Despite the looming volatility, US indices closed higher on Thursday. The S&P 500 rose 0.38%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.24% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.24%.
In economic data, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand rose 0.1% in May, recovering from a revised 0.2% drop in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Oracle soared to record highs after the company raised its full-year revenue growth outlook, citing strong AI-related demand.
Boeing tumbled after a tragic Air India 787-8 Dreamliner crash during takeoff in Ahmedabad. The aircraft was carrying 242 passengers. GE Aerospace, which supplies the jet's GEnx-1B engines, also saw its shares slide sharply.
Stocks in Spotlight:
Shares of three state-run oil marketing companies slumped after Brent crude prices flared up. BPCL (down 1.90%), Indian Oil Corporation (down 1.78%) and HPCL (down 1.41%) edged lower. Higher crude oil prices could increase under-recoveries of PSU OMCs on domestic sale of LPG and kerosene at controlled prices. The government has freed pricing of petrol and diesel.
RPP Infra Projects hit an upper limit of 2% after the company announced that it has received letter of acceptance worth Rs 282.88 crore from the principal general manager UPSIDA Complex Kanpur.
Kernex Microsystems (India) hit an upper limit of 5% after the company said it secured two contracts from Southern Railways in a joint venture with VRRC, under the KERNEX-VRRC consortium.
Sigachi Industries added 1.58% after the firm informed that it has secured the Terms of Reference (ToR) approval from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Andhra Pradesh.
TANFAC Industries rallied 9.01% after the company announced that it has has successfully commissioned its 5,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) Solar Grade Dilute Hydrofluoric Acid (DHF) plant.
CSB Bank fell 1.11%. The bank announced that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of Pralay Mondal as managing director (MD) & CEO of the bank for a period of three years with effect from 15 September 2025.
Yes Bank shed 1.27%. The bank said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted its approval for the extension of the tenure of appointment of Prashant Kumar as managing director & CEO of the bank.
Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals rose 0.17%. The company has secured a letter of award (LoA) worth Rs 100.68 crore from the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) for supplying and installing 4,500 Off-grid Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems (SPWPS).
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