Sensex closes over 700 points lower; Nifty holds above 23,800 amid stalled U.S.-Iran peace discussions

The BSE Sensex declined by 703 points (0.91%) to finish at 76,847.57, while the Nifty 50 dropped 208 points (0.86%) to settle at 23,842.65. Indian benchmark indices recovered partially from the day’s lows but still ended nearly 1% lower on Monday, influenced by weak global sentiment. The downturn followed the collapse of U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations and a sharp rise in crude oil prices, raising concerns that tensions in the Middle East may persist longer than expected. Weekend discussions between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad failed to achieve any meaningful progress, putting the fragile two-week truce at risk. Adding to market anxiety, the U.S. Central Command announced that American forces would initiate a maritime blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports starting Monday. During intraday trading, the Sensex plunged as much as 1,682 points (2.1%) to a low of 75,868.32, while the Nifty slipped 495 points (2%) to touch 23,555.60. In the broader market, the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 each declined around 0.5%. Sector-wise, indices such as Nifty Auto, Nifty FMCG, and Nifty IT dropped between 1% and 2%, while Nifty Bank and Nifty Financial Services recorded milder losses of around 0.5%. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing