The SENSEX Index Closes 1.81% Lower

India’s BSE Sensex Index reversed early losses to close about 0.3% up at 73,319.55 on Thursday, marking the second day of advances, despite fading hopes of a quick end to the Iran war and a sharp rise in oil prices. IT stocks provided the main support, as investors positioned ahead of upcoming quarterly earnings from major players like TCS and Infosys next week. HCLTech, Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS rose between 1.8% and 3.5%. Other gainers included Maruti, Titan, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, Trent, BEL, IndiGo and Axis Bank. Among losers, Sun Pharma fell 1.7% following a report that the US administration may impose tariffs on drugmakers that have not agreed to lower prices in the US. On the data front, a final PMI survey showed India's factory sector growth slowed to a near four-year low in March. For the week, the index shed about0.4%. The Indian stock market will remain closed on Friday, April 3, 2026, on account of the scheduled holiday for Good Friday.

The SENSEX Index went up by 182 points or 0.25 percent on Thursday to close at 73317 points. The rise was led by HCL Tech (2.92%), Tech Mahindra (2.26%) and Infosys (1.75%). On the downside, the weakerst performers were Eternal Limited (-5.07%), Asian Paints (-2.49%) and Sun Pharmaceuticals (-2.11%).

India’s BSE Sensex Index dropped nearly 2% to below 71,700 on Thursday, after a strong 1.8% gain in the previous session, as sentiment weakened across Asian markets following US President Donald Trump’s remarks on the Iran conflict. During his televised speech, Trump said Washington’s “core strategic objectives” in the war were nearing completion but stopped short of providing a clear timeline for its end, instead warning that the US could strike Iran “extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks. The lack of a clear de-escalation path reignited geopolitical concerns, driving crude oil prices higher and weighing on regional equities. Nearly all sectors declined, led by financials and banking stocks. Notable losses were seen from HDFC Bank (-1.1%), Axis Bank (-2.7%), Bajaj Finance (-2.2%), and Shriram Finance (-3.4%). On the macro side, markets await final figures for manufacturing PMI to gauge the country' s economic health.