Today (March 19), the weekly expiry for the Sensex appears fraught with challenges. The Sensex opened with a decline of over 1,500 points. The Nifty, too, opened lower, slipping by 400 points. Four major factors are believed to be driving this market pressure. The first is that oil prices are on the rise once again; Brent crude has reached nearly $110 per barrel, while US crude is hovering near the $100 mark. The second reason stems from comments made by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell regarding inflation, which dampened expectations for a rate cut and subsequently led to a decline on Wall Street overnight. The third factor is the US dollar; after weakening slightly earlier, it has now strengthened again. Additionally, the fourth reason is that news of the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty—the interim part-time Chairman of HDFC Bank—has caused anxiety among investors. It is worth noting that this is a heavyweight stock within both the Nifty 50 and Nifty Bank indices.
On Thursday, Asian stock markets witnessed a decline during early trading sessions. The primary reason behind this downturn is the rising price of crude oil, which has surged amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East and attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure.
On Thursday, Asian stock markets witnessed a decline during early trading sessions. The primary reason behind this downturn is the rising price of crude oil, which has surged amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East and attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure.