Indian indices fall on US-Iran impasse

On August 14, 2026, Indian benchmark indices S&P BSE Sensex and NIFTY 50 declined in early trade, with the Sensex down 298.75 points to 77,760.21 and the Nifty down 74.20 points to 24,321.90, as the prolonged US-Iran impasse weighed on investor sentiment. Major laggards included Tata Steel, Axis Bank, IndiGo, Mahindra & Mahindra, Power Grid Corporation of India, and ITC Limited, while Eternal, Titan Company, Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, and Bajaj Finance were among the winners. Brent Crude traded slightly higher at USD 87.12 per barrel, underpinned by the geopolitical standoff, which according to Ponmudi R of Enrich Money leaves oil-importing economies like India vulnerable to inflationary pressures and currency volatility. In Asian markets, South Korea's KOSPI and Japan's Nikkei 225 traded higher, while China's Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index and Hong_Kong's Hang Seng Index quoted lower. US markets ended higher on Thursday. Foreign institutional investor offloaded equities worth Rs 510.69 crore on Thursday. The previous session saw the Sensex end higher on fag-end buying, while the Nifty registered its third day of decline.