Mumbai: Indian stock markets opened sharply lower on Thursday as rising crude oil prices, elevated US bond yields and continued profit booking weighed on investor sentiment. The BSE Sensex plunged over 525 points, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped below the crucial 22,600 mark.
Sensex, Nifty Fall Sharply In Early Trade
The Sensex declined 525.50 points, or 0.71 per cent, to 73,184.19 in early trading. The index opened at 73,343.33 against its previous close of 73,709.69. Similarly, the Nifty 50 dropped 216.85 points, or 0.95 per cent, to 22,594.50 after opening at 22,687.75.
Crude Oil Prices Add Pressure
Rising global oil prices remained a major concern for Indian equity markets. Brent crude climbed 1.55 per cent to USD 110.51 per barrel, while US crude gained 1.23 per cent to USD 98.34. Higher oil prices and US bond yields raised concerns over inflation, corporate earnings and foreign investment flows.
Auto, Metal Stocks Lead Market Decline
Selling pressure was visible across major sectors. Nifty Metal fell 1.82 per cent, while Nifty Auto declined 1.76 per cent. Nifty FMCG, Pharma and Realty also recorded losses exceeding 1 per cent. Power Grid, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Steel and Bajaj Finance were among the major Sensex losers. However, Tech Mahindra, Infosys and Eternal showed resilience amid broader market weakness.
Stock Market Outlook: Key Nifty Levels
Dr V K Vijayakumar of Geojit Investments said investors were gradually shifting towards reasonably valued large-cap stocks from expensive mid-cap and small-cap shares. Shrikant Chouhan of Kotak Neo identified 22,800 and 22,750 as important technical levels. A sustained decline below 22,750 could push the Nifty towards 22,650–22,500. Investors will closely monitor crude oil prices, foreign institutional investor activity and global bond yields for further market direction.
