New Delhi, 19 February (H.S.): The Indian stock market closed sharply lower on Thursday, the fourth trading day of the week, as escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran triggered widespread selling pressure. Both benchmark indices recorded substantial declines, with the Sensex plummeting 1,236 points and the Nifty dropping 365 points.
The Bombay Stock Exchange's (BSE) 30-share Sensex index halted a three-session rally, shedding 1,236.11 points or 1.48 percent to settle at 82,498.14, reflecting over one percent losses across the board. Similarly, the National Stock Exchange's (NSE) 50-share Nifty index tumbled 365.00 points or 1.41 percent, closing at 25,454.35 amid pervasive profit booking.
Major Sensex constituents bore the brunt of the downturn, including InterGlobe Aviation, Mahindra & Mahindra, UltraTech Cement, Trent, Bharat Electronics Limited, Adani Ports, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reliance Industries, Tech Mahindra, ITC Limited, and Power Grid, which saw prominent declines. Meanwhile, the global crude oil benchmark Brent surged 1.02 percent to $71.07 per barrel, exacerbating market jitters.
In contrast, other Asian markets showed mixed results: South Korea's Kospi rose three percent, and Japan's Nikkei gained one percent, while Hong Kong and China remained closed for the traditional Lunar New Year holiday. The previous day, Wednesday, the Sensex had climbed 283.29 points or 0.34 percent to 83,734.25, with the Nifty advancing 93.95 points or 0.37 percent to 25,819.35.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
