Indian equities bled for a second straight session on Friday, May 8, as escalating US-Iran hostilities near the Strait of Hormuz rattled global risk appetite. The 30-share BSE Sensex closed at 77,328.19, down 516.34 points or 0.66%, after hitting an intraday low of 77,146.43. The NSE Nifty 50 settled at 24,176.15, off 150.50 points or 0.62%, slipping below the crucial 24,200 mark.

Indian benchmark indices rebounded on Wednesday as the Nifty 50 reclaimed the 24,100 mark and the Sensex surged over 600 points. Despite Brent crude soaring to $111 per barrel and the rupee hitting a record low of 94.81, a wave of strong Q4 earnings from heavyweights like Maruti Suzuki, Bandhan Bank, and CEAT fueled investor optimism. While West Asia tensions and the UAE’s exit from OPEC+ weighed on global sentiment, domestic buying by DIIs helped markets overcome persistent FII outflows.

Indian equities ended Tuesday’s volatile trade on a weak note, with benchmark indices surrendering early gains as global risk-off sentiment and rising crude prices triggered profit booking. The 30-share BSE Sensex closed 416.73 points, or 0.54%, lower at 76,886.91 after swinging 752 points intraday between a high of 77,493.53 and low of 76,741.06. The NSE Nifty 50 settled at 24,013.95, down 78.75 points or 0.33%, after briefly reclaiming 24,100 levels.

Bulls returned to Dalal Street on Monday, April 27, 2026, as the Nifty 50 surged over 200 points to settle at 24,109.55, shrugging off a spike in Brent crude to $108.5. The rally was ignited by Sun Pharma’s historic $11.75 billion all-cash acquisition of U.S.-based Organon & Co., the largest outbound pharma deal in Indian history. Market sentiment was further bolstered by the signing of a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, promising zero-duty access for Indian textiles and engineering goods. Despite the shadow of a security breach at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and ongoing supply chain disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, strong domestic buying and a 1.3% jump in midcaps ensured a decisive win for the bulls

India’s largest conglomerate, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), reported a 12.6% year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit for Q4 FY26, posting ₹16,971 crore against ₹19,407 crore in the previous year. Despite the earnings squeeze—driven primarily by margin pressures in the Oil-to-Chemicals (O2C) segment and volatile West Asia geopolitics—the company’s revenue surged 13% to ₹2.98 lakh crore. Strength in digital services saw Jio Platforms deliver a 13% profit jump to ₹7,935 crore, while Reliance Retail added over 300 new stores to reach a count of 20,160. Chairman Mukesh Ambani signaled long-term confidence by recommending a dividend of ₹6 per share and hinting that the highly anticipated Jio IPO remains steadily on track.

Indian equities suffered a brutal second day of losses on Friday, April 24, 2026, as the NSE Nifty 50 slid below the 24,000 mark and the BSE Sensex plummeted nearly 1,000 points. Market sentiment was hammered by a fresh spike in Brent crude to $107.24 following the seizure of vessels by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent stalling of US-Iran diplomatic talks. While Nifty Pharma provided a defensive sanctuary—bolstered by Cipla’s 5.7% rally—heavyweights in the Auto and Banking sectors dragged the benchmarks to nearly 10% below their 52-week highs. With FII outflows intensifying and the RBI warning of “second-round” inflationary effects from West Asia, traders remain on edge for any signs of geopolitical de-escalation.