Sensex falls 307 points, Nifty settles below 24,100; what happened today

Indian equity benchmarks resumed their decline on Monday after a one-session pause, tracking weak global cues and renewed geopolitical concerns. Rising crude oil prices amid the escalation in the US-Iran conflict also weighed on investor sentiment.

The 30-share BSE Sensex pack fell 307.24 points or 0.40 per cent to settle at 76,957.27, while the NSE Nifty50 index slipped 95.25 points or 0.39 per cent to close at 24,080.40.

Sectoral weakness was broad-based, with metals, FMCG, media and realty stocks among the major laggards. Pharma and select banking stocks showed relative resilience during the session.

The broader market also remained under pressure. Both midcap and smallcap indices fell more than 1 per cent intraday before recovering some ground and ending on a mixed note.

Among the major Sensex laggards were HDFC Bank Ltd, Bharti Airtel Ltd, ITC Ltd, Infosys Ltd, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, Bajaj Finance Ltd, Titan Company Ltd and Tata Steel Ltd.

Ajit Mishra, SVP (Research) at Religare Broking, said markets started the week on a weak note amid renewed geopolitical concerns and weak global cues.

He said the sell-off was triggered by a fresh escalation in the US-Iran conflict after US forces struck two Iranian launchers. The development drove a rebound in crude oil prices and renewed concerns over inflation, Mishra added.

He also pointed to hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, which revived expectations of a US interest-rate hike. MSCI index rejig-related fund adjustments further added to market volatility, according to Mishra.

Mishra advised investors to maintain a cautious stance, keep position sizes light and focus on strict risk management while adopting a selective trading approach.

Ankur Punj, Managing Director at Equirus Wealth, said markets remained in negative territory through the session amid weak US cues and a sharp rise in global crude oil prices.

He said the West Asia conflict and concerns over the opening of the Strait of Hormuz remained key deterrents for investors. Heavy selling was seen in IT, realty, metals and select banking stocks, while fresh FII outflows from domestic equities over the past two trading sessions also kept sentiment cautious.

Nifty outlook

Bajaj Broking Research expects the Nifty50 to remain in a consolidation phase and trade in the broad range of 23,800-24,600 amid stock-specific action.

The brokerage said the recent two-week high around 24,380 would act as a key hurdle for the index. A move above this level would signal positive movement, while failure to cross it would keep the bias corrective.