India’s BSE Sensex slipped about 0.5% to 73,645 at the open on Thursday, ending a two-session winning run as investors reacted to rising geopolitical risks in the Middle East, higher oil prices, and renewed concerns over US inflation. Sentiment deteriorated after fresh US strikes on Iran heightened fears of a broader regional conflict, driving Brent crude toward the mid-$90-per-barrel range. At the same time, US inflation quickened to 4.2% in May, its highest reading since April 2023, bolstering expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain elevated interest rates for longer.
Heavyweight technology shares led the decline, with Infosys, CarTrade, HCL Tech, and Persistent Systems shedding between 2.2% and 3.5%. Other prominent laggards included MTAR Tech (-2%), Paras (-1.3%), and PFC (-3.1%).
In contrast, Zee Entertainment Enterprises rose roughly 1.9% after unveiling plans to raise about 23 billion rupees to fund business initiatives. Additional gainers included ICICI (+1.2%), Unichem Lab (+12%), Cupid (+3.2%), and Honasa Consumer (+2%).
