India’s BSE Sensex slipped about 0.2% on Friday to a more than one-week low of 73,124, extending its losing streak to a fourth consecutive session and closing the week 2.1% lower. Sentiment remained under pressure amid concerns over rising crude oil prices, escalating geopolitical tensions, and uncertainty about the broader global outlook. Elevated oil prices threaten to widen India’s import bill, worsen the inflation trajectory, and squeeze corporate profit margins.
Foreign institutional investors also added to the downside, offloading Indian equities worth 3.46 billion rupees on October 22. This came even as flash PMI data indicated that private-sector activity in India accelerated in October, reaching a four-month high.
Selling was broad-based across sectors, with metals and consumer durables among the worst performers. Tata Steel was the top laggard, dropping 3.2%, followed by Adani Ports, which fell 3.03%. At the other end of the spectrum, Eternal was the best performer, advancing around 4%. Larsen & Toubro gained 1.3%, Reliance Industries climbed 1.2%, and TCS added 1%.
