India’s BSE Sensex fell about 0.8% to 78,659 on Wednesday, ending a three-session winning streak and retreating from a recent six-week high, as sentiment turned cautious ahead of corporate earnings and amid uncertainty over a US-Iran ceasefire extension and peace negotiations. Brent crude remained elevated near $98 per barrel—around 35% higher than in late February when the US-Iran conflict began—raising inflation concerns, squeezing corporate margins, and weighing on equities.
Among key movers, HCLTech declined on weak guidance and analyst downgrades, Tata Elxsi jumped after reporting 27.8% profit growth, Cyient DLM edged lower on soft earnings, and Sunteck Realty advanced despite margin pressure.
The benchmark’s pullback was led by technology counters: HCLTech dropped 8.9%, Infosys fell 2.6%, Persistent Systems lost 4.3%, Tata Consultancy Services slipped 1.4%, and Tata Elxsi retreated 3.9% despite its quarterly profit increase. Other notable laggards included Taril (-8.1%) and 360 One (-3.1%).
