Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 13: Indian equity markets witnessed a steep sell-off on Friday, June 14, as geopolitical tensions flared in the Middle East following Israel’s military strike on Iran. Both benchmark indices opened deep in the red, tracking weak global cues and a sharp rise in safe-haven demand.

The BSE Sensex nosedived 1,123 points or 1.37% to 80,568.98, while the Nifty50 dropped 341 points to slip below the 24,550 mark, opening at 24,547.30, also down 1.37%.

The fall comes amid heightened geopolitical concerns, with analysts attributing the market’s decline to the Israeli military’s Operation Rising Lion targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities—a move that has sent shockwaves across global financial markets.

Across Asian markets, red was the dominant colour. Investors fled riskier assets in favour of gold, the Swiss franc, and the Japanese yen. The US dollar also gained sharply against major currencies, as oil prices spiked on fears of supply disruption in the region. Meanwhile, US futures indicated a weak start on Wall Street, dragging sentiment globally.

Data from Thursday shows Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded Indian equities worth Rs 3,831 crore, significantly increasing their net short position in the futures market from Rs 86,594 crore to Rs 99,478 crore. However, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) remained net buyers,

Interestingly, on Wall Street, Oracle Corp provided a silver lining, posting a massive 13.3% surge after raising its annual growth forecast, bolstered by strong demand in AI-driven cloud services. This helped the S&P 500 inch higher despite concerns about the unfolding conflict and Boeing’s stock decline.

Experts suggest that volatility is likely to persist in the near term. “Investors should brace for continued consolidation as geopolitical risks loom large. Any further escalation between Iran and Israel may spark more selling,” said Anil Mehta, a market strategist.

Traders and institutional players will also keep a close eye on US-India trade negotiations, inflation data, and the next move by central banks, especially if energy prices remain elevated.

With investors on edge and global markets jittery, Dalal Street’s wild Friday underscores how swiftly foreign policy decisions can shake financial systems—even continents away.