US‑Iran conflict pushes Indian Sensex and Nifty lower

Escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran, including fresh airstrikes and threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, have driven crude oil prices sharply higher – Brent rose about 4 % to roughly $79 per barrel and WTI to $74 per barrel. The surge in oil prices and heightened geopolitical risk weighed on investor sentiment in India. In early trade on Monday the BSE Sensex fell 616 points to 76,947 and the NSE Nifty slipped 190 points to 24,015, marking a decline of roughly 0.8 % in both indices. The rupee weakened to the 95.3‑95.5 per USD range. While most large‑cap stocks retreated, a few heavyweight names such as HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, Tata Consultancy Services, NTPC, HCL Technologies and Power Grid posted gains, offsetting losses in sectors like auto, steel and banking. Foreign Institutional Investors remained net buyers, adding about ₹2.6 billion on the preceding Friday, and the market is now looking ahead to the Q1 FY27 earnings season for further direction. Asian peers also opened lower, with Japan’s Nikkei, South Korea’s KOSPI and China’s Shanghai Composite all in the red, underscoring the broader impact of the West‑Asia tension on global equity markets.