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Friday, March 13, 2026

13/03/26, PostMarket REPORT from Financial Express

Markets extended their losses for the second consecutive day on Thursday as Brent crude prices again hit the $100 per barrel mark after a recent dip, amid no signs of de-escalation in the US-Israel-Iran conflict, raising concerns over inflationary pressures.

Brent crude prices surged 10.45% to $101.6 per barrel.

The Sensex tumbled 829.29 points or 1.08% to close at 76,034.42, while the Nifty fell 227.70 points or 0.95% to end at 23,639.15.

Both the Sensex and Nifty have declined 6.46% and 6.11%, respectively, since the war began on February 28. They are now down 11.34% and 10.21%, respectively, from their peak levels on January 2.

Energy-Inflation Trap

Indian equities ended Thursday's session on a cautious note, with the BSE Sensex finishing lower as investors turned risk-averse amid rising global uncertainties, said Vikram Kasat, Head of Advisory at PL Capital - Prabhudas Lilladher.

The decline was largely led by weakness in auto, FMCG, and select private banking stocks, where profit booking emerged after the recent run-up, while concerns around input costs and the demand outlook weighed on sentiment, Kasat added.

In contrast, power, utilities, and select oil & gas stocks showed relative resilience as investors rotated into defensive and energy-linked plays, he said.

Foreign portfolio investor (FPI) outflows stood at Rs 46,911 crore ($5.1 billion) in March so far, including Rs 7,050 crore on Thursday.

"Global investors' near-term outlook for Indian equities may remain volatile as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East keep energy prices elevated and risk appetite subdued," said Sanjeev Hota, Head of Equity Strategy at Standard Chartered Securities (India).

In the absence of clear domestic catalysts, many global funds are currently maintaining lower gross exposure to India, Hota added.

Meanwhile, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) pumped in Rs 60,549 crore so far this month, including Rs 7,450 crore on Thursday.

Institutional Tug-of-War

Investor wealth eroded by Rs 23.44 lakh crore to Rs 440.06 lakh crore in the eight sessions since the start of the war, including Rs 1.84 lakh crore wiped out on Thursday. From the January peak levels, a whopping Rs 41.18 lakh crore of investor wealth has been wiped out.

The advance-decline ratio stood at 0.68:1, with 1,713 gainers against 2,516 losers on the BSE.

Among sectoral indices, auto, FMCG, realty, and private banks were the top laggards, declining by up to 2.92%, while utilities, power, and energy were the top gainers, rising by up to 3.31%.

In the Sensex pack, M&M, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Finance, L&T, and UltraTech Cement were the top losers, while NTPC, Power Grid, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, and Reliance Industries were the top gainers.

Across Asia, barring Thailand (up 1.60%) and Malaysia (up 0.13%), all major markets ended lower. Besides India, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong were among the top losers.

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