AIRLINE, PAINT AND TYRE STOCKS FALL AS CRUDE PRICES

Shares of airlines, oil marketing companies, paint manufacturers and tyre makers came under pressure on Friday as crude oil prices extended their rally, with Brent crude approaching $110 a barrel amid growing concerns over supply disruptions in the Middle East. Among the major decliners in early trade were SpiceJet, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and InterGlobe Aviation, with the stocks falling between 2% and 5%. SpiceJet shares dropped 4.6%, while HPCL declined 3.1%. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, fell 1.7%. Paint stocks also faced selling pressure as crude-linked input costs raised concerns over margins. Kansai Nerolac Paints fell 1.8%, Asian Paints declined 1.3% and Berger Paints slipped 0.3%. In the tyre segment, Apollo Tyres, JK Tyre & Industries and CEAT declined around 1–1.6%. Crude prices have surged as escalating attacks along key Middle Eastern shipping routes fuelled fears of prolonged disruptions to global oil supplies. The situation intensified after Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of Yemen’s port of Mocha on Thursday, raising concerns over traffic through the Red Sea. Restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on oil tankers have further heightened supply risks. Rising crude prices typically put pressure on airlines, as aviation turbine fuel (ATF) is one of their largest operating expenses. OMCs and refiners may also see margins squeezed if higher international fuel prices cannot be fully passed on to consumers. Paint and tyre manufacturers, meanwhile, remain vulnerable to higher crude-linked raw material costs.