Stock Markets

No panic, but pressure builds; equities slide on oil surge fears

Anxiety persists, panic absent; markets slide; Indian equities set for weak start; oil, gold and dollar firm up

TC Mathew

War dynamics continue to dictate market direction. As the West Asia conflict drags on, equities remain under pressure. There is still no visible path to a quick resolution. However, crude has not yet surged to intolerable levels — offering limited relief.

What markets are watching

  • Duration of the war

  • Whether crude moves towards $90–$100 a barrel

  • Any disruption through the Strait of Hormuz

  • Sustained FII selling

Foreign funds appear to be pricing in a conflict lasting about a month. If it extends beyond that, markets could see sharper damage.

Early signals: Weak start likely

  • Gift Nifty touched 24,895.50 on Monday night

  • Rose to 24,967 before slipping to 24,818

  • Indicates another weak opening for Indian equities

In ADR trade:

  • Infosys fell 1.73 percent before recovering 0.69 percent

  • Wipro dropped 2.70 percent, later gaining 0.43 percent

US markets volatile but resilient

US indices opened sharply lower but recovered through the session:

  • Dow Jones fell 73.14 points (0.15 percent) to 48,904.78

  • S&P 500 rose 0.04 percent to 6,881.62

  • Nasdaq gained 0.36 percent to 22,748.86

  • Nvidia climbed 3 percent

US futures are again in the red this morning.

Europe and Asia weak

  • Germany and France fell over 2 percent

  • UK down around 1.5 percent

  • South Korea fell 2 percent after reopening

  • Japan trimmed early losses

  • Hong Kong up 0.50 percent; China marginally higher

Indian markets: Sharp fall, partial recovery

Risk factors weighing on India:

  • Rising oil prices

  • Export disruptions to the Gulf

  • Travel uncertainty

  • Remittance concerns

  • Dubai-linked financial flow risks

Indices recovered from deeper cuts but closed firmly negative:

  • Sensex down 1,048.34 points (1.29 percent) at 80,238.85

  • Nifty fell 312.95 points (1.24 percent) to 24,865.70

  • Bank Nifty down 1.14 percent

  • Mid cap 100 fell 1.58 percent

  • Small cap 100 dropped 1.75 percent

Market breadth negative:

  • BSE: 754 advances vs 3,641 declines

  • NSE: 638 advances vs 2,580 declines

  • FIIs sold ₹3,295.64 crore

  • DIIs bought ₹8,593.87 crore

Gold volatile, dollar stronger

  • Gold swung between $5,419 and $5,263

  • Closed at $5,322.80, up 0.81 percent

  • Kerala 22-carat gold fell ₹1,880 to ₹1,25,040 per sovereign

  • Dollar index climbed to 98.56

  • Rupee weakened to 91.47; NDF suggests further pressure

Crude steady but elevated

  • Brent at $78.87

  • WTI at $72.01

  • Murban at $79.50

Markets are closely monitoring developments around the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20–22 percent of global seaborne crude and LNG shipments.

Crypto firm

  • Bitcoin above $69,000

  • Ether above $2,035

  • Solana above $87

Market Indicators

(March 2, Monday)

Sensex: 80,238.85 (-1.29%)
Nifty 50: 24,865.70 (-1.24%)
Bank Nifty: 59,839.65 (-1.14%)
Mid cap 100: 58,180.50 (-1.58%)
Small cap 100: 16,632.40 (-1.75%)
Dow Jones: 48,904.78 (-0.15%)
S&P 500: 6,881.62 (+0.04%)
Nasdaq: 22,748.86 (+0.36%)
Dollar (₹): 91.47 (+0.49)
Gold (ounce): $5,322.80 (+$42.60)
Gold (sovereign): ₹1,25,040 (-₹1,880)
Brent crude: $77.74 (+$4.87)

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