FX.co ★ Sensex Opens at Over 10-Month Low

India’s BSE Sensex declined about 2% to 78,661 on Wednesday, its lowest level since April 2025, marking a fourth consecutive session of losses as mounting tensions in the Middle East continued to pressure markets. The worsening geopolitical backdrop pushed crude oil prices sharply higher, amplifying concerns over inflation and rising import costs. All major sectors opened in negative territory, with financials, industrials, energy, and non-energy minerals leading the downturn. Among individual stocks, Larsen & Toubro (-6.1%), Tata Steel (-4.6%), InterGlobe (-4.3%), Reliance Industries (-3.4%), and Mahindra & Mahindra (-3.2%) registered notable early losses. On the data front, India’s HSBC final composite and services PMIs are due later today, with the services PMI expected to inch up to 58.6 in February from 58.5 in January.