Stock Market Close: Sensex tanks 1,045 pts, Nifty ends at 22,232 as oil tops $104; VIX jumps 10% | Markets News

Stock Market LIVE: On Thursday, the benchmark index Nifty witnessed a sharp sell-off and formed a sizeable bearish candle on the daily chart. More importantly, the index registered its lowest daily close since April 2025. Rising Brent crude prices coupled with continued weakness in the USD/INR pair weighed on overall market sentiment.

 

From a technical perspective, the trend remains firmly bearish, with the index trading below all key moving averages. Momentum indicators also continue to indicate weakness, while the daily RSI remains in the super bearish zone as per the RSI range shift framework. Therefore, the index is likely to remain under pressure and continue its downward trajectory in the near term.

 

Going ahead, the zone of 22,350-22,400 is likely to act as an immediate hurdle for the index. As long as Nifty remains below the 22,400 mark, the prevailing bearish trend is expected to continue. In the short term, the index may extend its decline towards 22,100, with the next key support placed around 21,950. A sustained move above 22,400 will be required to ease the immediate downside pressure and improve the short-term outlook.

 

View by: Sudeep Shah, head – technical and derivatives research at SBI Securities

 

Stock Market LIVE: The sharp decline in the domestic equity markets reflects a combination of global and domestic macroeconomic concerns. Elevated crude oil prices, persistent foreign institutional selling, higher global bond yields and cautious investor sentiment are contributing to near-term pressure on equities. Market movements are likely to remain sensitive to developments in crude prices, global interest-rate expectations and foreign capital flows.

 

From a monetary-policy perspective, a calibrated approach by the RBI, along with a higher interest-rate environment, could influence liquidity conditions and equity valuations, particularly for rate-sensitive segments. Sustained higher borrowing costs may also have implications for corporate financing conditions and earnings expectations.

 

Foreign investor flows are likely to remain influenced by the relative attractiveness of Indian equities versus global markets, US bond yields, currency movements and broader risk sentiment. A moderation in global yields, greater clarity on the interest-rate trajectory and improving risk appetite could support a more favourable environment for emerging-market flows.

 

Crude oil prices above $100 per barrel remain an important macro variable for India given the country’s dependence on imported energy. Prolonged elevated prices could add pressure to inflation and input costs, while potentially affecting margins across oil-sensitive sectors. The impact, however, is likely to vary across sectors depending on their cost structures, pricing power and exposure to energy prices.

 

While near-term volatility may remain elevated, earnings fundamentals continue to be an important factor for the medium-term market outlook. Sectors with relatively resilient demand, healthy balance sheets and sustainable earnings visibility may be better positioned to navigate periods of macroeconomic uncertainty. Investors should assess these factors in the context of their individual risk profiles and investment objectives rather than taking short-term market movements in isolation.

 

View by: Pranay Aggarwal, director & CEO, Stoxkart

Stock Market LIVE: Broader markets also witnessed heavy selling pressure, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 declining more than 2 per cent each. The volatility index, India VIX is surged by over 10 per cent to 15.33.

 

Stock Market LIVE: On the sectoral front, all the indices closed in the red. The Nifty Metal was the worst hit as it cracked 3.5 per cent, followed by Nifty Realty and Nifty Oil & Gas.

 

Stock Market LIVE: Among the 30 Sensex firms, only three stocks managed to close i the green — Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank and Infosys. ITC, IndiGo, Power Grid and BEL fell more then 3 per cent each. Adani Ports, NTPC, RIL and Maruti were among the other major laggards. 

 

Stock Market LIVE: The 50-share NSE Nifty index also closed sharply lower. It fell 371.25 points, or 1.64 per cent to settle at 22,231.80. During the day, the index touched an intraday low of 22,179.90 (also its 2026 low).

 

Stock Market LIVE: Benchmark Sensex drifted for the second straight day on Thursday as growing prospect of tighter domestic and global monetary conditions persisting for longer, surging crude oil prices and foreign fund outflows dented sentiment. The index lost 1,045.46 points, or 1.44 per cent to end at 71,593.24. It made an intraday low of 71,327.75.

 

Stock Market LIVE: The Sensex declined 1,177.08 points or 1.62 per cent to 71,461.62 and the Nifty50 was down 387.05 points or 1.71 per cent at 22,216 in the closing auction session (CAS). 

 

Stock Market LIVE: Here’s a look at the most active put contracts at this hour on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).