Indian equity indices extend losses for third straight session amid Middle East tensions, crude oil surge

Amid weak global cues, the domestic markets opened on a negative note and remained under pressure throughout the session.

Sustained selling dragged the Nifty to an intraday low of 23,786.80. However, the index managed to close just above the 23,900 mark following the closing auction session (CAS).

At the closing bell, the Sensex fell 373.93 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 76,570.35, while the Nifty declined 141.35 points, or 0.59 per cent, to settle at 23,914.45.

Among the Nifty constituents, Eicher Motors, Wipro, Bajaj Auto, Asian Paints and Mahindra & Mahindra emerged as the biggest losers.

On the other hand, Coal India, Adani Ports, Bajaj Finserv, Adani Enterprises and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles were among the notable gainers.

The broader market also remained under pressure, with more than 140 stocks touching their respective 52-week lows. The list included Alok Industries, Voltas, Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands, JK Lakshmi Cement, ICICI Lombard, KEC International, IRCTC, Brainbees Solutions, Rail Vikas Nigam, Hindustan Unilever, Swan Corp, P&G Hygiene, Dabur India, Inox Wind, PI Industries, IRFC, Kama Holdings and Aditya Birla Fashion, among others.

The weak domestic close came against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and rising crude oil prices, which continued to weigh on investor sentiment.