Stock Market Live Updates | Sensex, Nifty End in Red Amid US-Iran Tensions; Benchmarks Drop Over 2%

Indian equity markets are set for a cautious trading session on Wednesday as investors navigate a mix of weak global cues and rising geopolitical tensions. Sentiment has turned risk-averse after fresh US strikes on Iran pushed crude oil prices and the US dollar higher, while Asian markets traded mixed. The previous session saw the Sensex and Nifty snap a four-day winning streak following late selling pressure, setting a subdued tone for today's trade. Market participants will closely track oil prices, foreign investor activity, the rupee's movement, and global developments, all of which are expected to influence trading through the day.

Nifty 50 fell 0.63% to 24,245.15 after a weak opening. Despite a brief mid-session recovery, persistent selling pressure and volatile trading kept the benchmark index in negative territory.

The Sensex traded around 77,650, down more than 500 points, while Nifty slipped below 24,250. Rising crude oil prices and escalating US-Iran tensions dented investor sentiment, triggering broad-based selling.

Restaurant Brands Asia completed a Rs. 2,235 crore investment deal with Inspira Global through Lenexis Foodworks. Inspira Global now holds a 41.78% stake, which will rise to 48.04% after warrant conversion backed by an additional Rs. 450 crore investment, making it the company's new controlling shareholder.

Assetz has entered a five-year partnership with the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy to support tennis infrastructure and talent development in India. Meanwhile, TARC reported strong Q1 FY27 performance, with Rs. 602 crore in presales, Rs. 305 crore in collections, and continued progress across its luxury residential projects.

Knack Packaging made a strong stock market debut, listing at an 11% premium over its IPO price on the NSE. The listing followed robust investor demand for the public issue, highlighting strong market confidence in the company's growth prospects.

The government will exercise the oversubscription option for Cochin Shipyard's Offer for Sale (OFS) after receiving strong investor demand. The move covers an additional 2.52% equity, allowing the Center to raise higher proceeds through the disinvestment program.

ICICI Bank shares traded at Rs. 1,411.10, down Rs. 3.60 or 0.25% in early trading. The stock remained under selling pressure throughout the morning session, slipping below the previous close of Rs. 1,414.70 amid a cautious market sentiment.

Infosys shares traded at Rs. 1,076.40, up Rs. 4.60 or 0.43%. The IT major witnessed modest buying interest, recovering from recent lows as investors tracked sectoral strength and broader market trends despite cautious sentiment across Indian equities.

Inox India received fresh orders worth Rs. 939 crore since May 21 across Industrial Gas, LNG, and Cryo-scientific Solutions. The Industrial Gas business contributed Rs. 871 crore, while LNG, Cryo-scientific Solutions, and Beverage Keg orders accounted for the remaining value.

Axis Bank shares traded at Rs. 1,329.90, down Rs. 11.10 or 0.83%. The private lender witnessed sustained selling pressure during the session, extending losses as broader market weakness and cautious investor sentiment weighed on banking stocks.

The Reserve Bank of India approved the reappointment of N. S. Vishwanathan as the Non-Executive (Part-time) Chairman of Axis Bank. The approval ensures continuity in the bank's leadership and governance structure as it continues executing its long-term growth strategy.

SEPC approved the acquisition of up to a 90% stake in Abu Dhabi-based Avenir International Engineers and Consultants through a Rs. 1,530 crore share-swap deal. The transaction is expected to conclude by December 2026 without any cash outflow.

Orchid Pharma signed a licensing and supply agreement with Pharmasyntez JSC to commercialize its antibiotic Exblifep in Russia. Pharmasyntez will exclusively market the drug, while Orchid Pharma will manufacture and supply the finished formulation.

Embassy Developments reported 338% year-on-year growth in pre-sales to Rs. 868 crore, while customer collections increased 54% to Rs. 496 crore during the first quarter, reflecting strong housing demand and healthy cash generation.

EMS emerged as the lowest bidder for a Delhi Jal Board sewerage project valued at approximately Rs. 158.28 crore. The order is expected to strengthen the company's infrastructure project portfolio and improve revenue visibility.

The RBI approved the appointment of Mahesh Muralidhar Pai as Managing Director and CEO of South Indian Bank for a three-year term beginning October 1, 2026, paving the way for a planned leadership transition.

Uno Minda will invest Rs. 320 crore in a new passenger vehicle seating systems plant at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. The greenfield facility is expected to begin commercial production by the fourth quarter of FY28.

HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries, Share India Securities, Kalyan Jewelers, PhysicsWallah and Info Edge emerged among the most actively traded stocks. Meanwhile, Veerhealth Care, DB Stock Brokers, Dhunseri Investments and Vrundavan Plantation featured among the day's most volatile counters, witnessing sharp price swings.

Lyptus Punch-Card Fund acquired a 1.83% stake in Capital Small Finance Bank through a Rs. 25 crore transaction, increasing its exposure to the lender and reflecting continued institutional interest in the banking sector.

Marksans Pharma will acquire 100% of Germany-based ABCnow GmbH for €0.9 million, strengthening its sales, marketing and distribution network in the German healthcare market. The acquisition is expected to enhance the company's European footprint and support future growth in international pharmaceutical markets.

Global brokerage Investec maintained its 'Buy' rating on Dodla Dairy and retained a target price of Rs. 1,400. The recommendation reflects confidence in the dairy company's long-term growth prospects despite the stock trading marginally lower during Wednesday's session.

The Nifty 50 plunged 2.23% to 23,854.25, extending losses after a sharp late-session sell-off. The Sensex also dropped 2.08% to 76,556.74, as broad-based selling and weak investor sentiment dragged benchmark indices sharply lower.

The Indian rupee weakened 0.67% to 95.58 against the US dollar amid rising global uncertainty. At the same time, crude oil surged 6.27% to $74.86 per barrel, while natural gas advanced. Gold and copper declined, reflecting mixed commodity market sentiment.

Selling pressure intensified across select small-cap stocks, with Valencia Nutrition plunging 12.81% to lead the losers. Billwin Industries, DhanSafal Finserve, Baba Food Processing, Three M Paper Boards, and Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals also declined between 10% and 12% during the session.

Unichem Laboratories surged 20% to emerge as the day's biggest gainer. Thirani Projects, Ace Software Exports, Mac Hotels, Jindal Drilling & Industries, and Informed Technologies India also posted strong gains, rising between 11.82% and 15.36% during the session.

Selling pressure intensified across sectors, with the Nifty PSU Bank index falling 2.57%, followed by Nifty Bank (-2.26%), Oil & Gas (-2.22%), Private Bank (-2.19%), and FMCG (-2.19%). Not a single NSE sectoral index traded in positive territory, highlighting widespread market weakness.

Broader markets remained under pressure as the Nifty Midcap 100 fell 1.57% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined 2.07%. Meanwhile, India VIX surged nearly 28% to 14.88, reflecting heightened investor nervousness and expectations of increased market volatility.

Despite the market-wide sell-off, ONGC gained 0.61% to emerge as the top Nifty gainer. Bajaj Auto advanced 0.33%, while Wipro added 0.25%, making them the only stocks in the Nifty 50 trading in positive territory.

Shriram Finance slumped 4.51% to lead the Nifty losers. InterGlobe Aviation declined 4.48%, Maruti Suzuki fell 3.48%, and Bajaj Finance dropped 3.20%. Tata Consumer Products and Bharat Electronics also witnessed significant selling pressure.

Kalyan Jewellers rallied 6.37% to top the BSE midcap gainers. NALCO gained 2.04%, while Bharti Hexacom, Premier Energies, and FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa) also traded in positive territory despite the broader market weakness.

Aegis Vopak Terminals fell 6.54% to lead the BSE midcap losers. 360 ONE WAM declined 5.25%, L&T Finance slipped 5.13%, and HPCL dropped 5.00%. Mphasis, Bank of India and Coforge also traded sharply lower.

HSBC downgraded Bank of Baroda to 'Hold' and set a target price of Rs. 265. The stock traded at Rs. 241.15, down 2.64%, as investors reacted to the brokerage's revised outlook amid broader weakness in banking stocks.

Indian equities remained under heavy selling pressure, with the Nifty 50 falling 2.12% to 23,882.05 and the Sensex dropping 2.15% to 76,503.60. Broad-based weakness and rising volatility kept investor sentiment subdued throughout the trading session.

Indian benchmark indices ended sharply lower as renewed US-Iran tensions triggered a broad market sell-off. The Sensex plunged 1,677.12 points to 76,503.60, while the Nifty fell 516.65 points to 23,882.05. Weak global sentiment, rising crude oil prices and heavy profit booking dragged most sectors into negative territory.

The Indian rupee settled 58 paise lower at 95.55 against the US dollar, pressured by rising crude oil prices and a stronger dollar. Analysts attributed the weakness to renewed geopolitical tensions after fresh developments in the US-Iran conflict increased concerns over India's import bill.

Every major sector closed in the red, reflecting broad-based weakness across the market. Nifty PSU Bank fell 2.7%, followed by Nifty Bank, Private Bank, FMCG, Media, Auto, Oil & Gas, and Infrastructure, while India VIX surged nearly 25%, signalling heightened investor nervousness.

Selling pressure extended beyond benchmark indices as the Nifty Midcap index declined 1.5% and the Smallcap index dropped 2.2%. Market breadth remained weak with over 3,000 stocks declining, highlighting widespread risk aversion across the broader equity market.

Jio Financial Services emerged among the biggest laggards, falling over 5%. Other major losers included InterGlobe Aviation, Shriram Finance, Maruti Suzuki, and HUL, while ONGC, Hindalco Industries, Coal India, and Bajaj Auto managed to close with gains despite the market rout.

Fortis Healthcare's board approved the reappointment of Dr. Ashutosh Raghuvanshi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for another two-year term beginning March 19, 2027, subject to shareholder approval, ensuring leadership continuity at the healthcare company.

The Kusumgar IPO was subscribed 2.72 times by 3:15 PM on its opening day. Retail investors subscribed 3.02 times, non-institutional investors 5.42 times, while qualified institutional buyers subscribed 0.21 times, indicating healthy participation from non-retail investors.

HDFC Securities upgraded NOCIL to 'Add' and assigned a target price of Rs. 196. Despite the positive brokerage call, the stock traded lower during the session amid broad market weakness and profit booking across sectors.

Global markets came under pressure after US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran was over. The remarks sent Wall Street futures down more than 1%, pushed Brent crude up nearly 6%, and intensified risk-off sentiment across global equities.