Indian shares fell on Monday as investors sold riskier assets after Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel over the weekend spurred fears of a wider regional conflict.
The NSE Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab was down 0.73% at 22,354.70 as of 10:10 a.m. IST, while the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN), opens new tab fell 0.75% to 73,687.02.
"Risk sentiment took a hit after Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel over the weekend stoked fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East region and kept traders on edge," analysts at SMC Global Securities said in a note on Monday, Reuters reported.
"The worries in the Middle East have rattled all financial markets, pushing investors to look for safer places for their money."
Forty-one of the Nifty 50 stocks declined. All the 13 major sectors logged losses.
Shares of Indian rice and tea exporters fell amid escalations in Middle East tensions. India is one of the top exporters of basmati rice and tea, and Iran is a leading buyer of those commodities.
Other Asian peers also traded lower, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index (.MIAPJ0000PUS), opens new tab shedding 0.72%.
Among individual stocks, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS), opens new tab, India's top software services firm by revenue, gained 0.8% and was among the top five Nifty 50 gainers.
"While the company reported lower-than-expected revenue in March quarter, we still expect TCS to lead peers on revenue growth in fiscal year 2024, aided by ramp-up of mega deals," analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities said.
Aluminium producer Hindalco Industries (HALC.NS), opens new tab gained 2.5% and was the top Nifty 50 gainer, after the US and UK imposed restrictions on the trading of new Russian commodities on the London Metals Exchange and on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
This (development) should be most positive for aluminium prices and shares of aluminium producers, Jefferies said.
The broader, more domestically-focussed small- (.NIFSMCP100), opens new tab and mid-caps (.NIFMDCP100), opens new tab lost about 3% and 2%, respectively, after outperforming the benchmarks in April, ahead of the session.
