Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, started the trading session on a negative note on Thursday, following weak global cues amid heightened war jitters over Iran. While the 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 872.27 points or 1.38 per cent to start the session at 72,262.05, the Nifty fell 296 points to open at 22,383.40. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 73,134.32 and the Nifty 50 at 22,679.40. Similarly, the broader indices traded in the red in the opening session. While the BSE Midcap Select Index shed 176.18 points, or 1.17 per cent, in the early trading session, the BSE Smallcap Select Index was down by 178.80 points or 2.51 per cent, to trade at 6,956.53.
From the Sensex pack, all 30 stocks were in the red, with Indigo the biggest loser, falling 4.77 per cent. Other stocks that fell the most were Sun Pharma, Adani Ports, Asian Paints, and Eternal.
Later, Sensex dipped 1,525,84 points to touch the low of 71,608.48, and Nifty fell to 22,209.15.
“For traders, 22,500/72500 and 22,250/72000 would act as key support zones. As long as the market trades above these levels, the pullback move could continue upwards, with 22,900–23,000/73800–74200 acting as immediate resistance zones for bulls. Below 22250/72000, it could fall to 22100-22000/71500-71200,” said Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities.
In early trade, market breadth was negative, with 2,161 stocks declining against 260 stocks advancing on the NSE. 60 stocks remained unchanged.
What did Gift Nifty indicate?
Gift Nifty, an early indicator for the Nifty 50, indicated a negative start as it opened with a fall of 16 points at 22,867, compared to the previous close of 22,851. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their selling streak and offloaded equities worth Rs 8,331.15 crore on March April 1, 2026. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) largely offset the outflows with purchases of Rs 7,171.80 crore.
Asian Markets Today
Asian stocks dipped on Thursday as oil prices jumped over 4 per cent after President Trump’s prime-time address failed to offer a clear timeline for ending the US-Iran war. While Japan’s Nikkei 225 tumbled 1,162.68 points or 2.16 per cent to trade at 52,577. Similarly, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down by 250.03 points or 0.99 points. South Korea’s Kospi traded in the red with a dip of 218.23 points at the time of writing the report. Similarly, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index fell 20.95 points or 0.53 per cent.
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(This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, financial, or other advice.)
