The Economic Times

Metal stocks have plunged recently due to geopolitical tensions and hawkish Fed commentary. However, experts anticipate a near-term surge in metal prices, driven by the Iran-US conflict and rising oil costs. Supply disruptions in the Middle East are particularly impacting steel and aluminum markets, with potential implications for Indian producers.

Indian markets witnessed a broad-based sell-off amid escalating Middle East tensions and rising crude oil prices. Several stocks, including IDBI Bank and SpiceJet, declined sharply during the week. Geopolitical risks, inflation concerns, and regulatory developments weighed on investor sentiment, dragging multiple sectors lower despite selective resilience in parts of the market.

Indian stock markets experienced a significant downturn on Thursday. The benchmark Sensex dropped by 2,497 points, closing at 74,207. Amid this sharp decline, five prominent stocks within the BSE Sensex index reached their 52-week lows.

Indian stock markets experienced their worst single-day fall since the June 2024 election crash, with Sensex and Nifty plunging over 3% on Thursday. Soaring crude prices and hawkish US Federal Reserve commentary triggered the selloff, wiping out over Rs 11.5 lakh crore in market capitalisation. The decline mirrored the post-election panic, though markets historically show resilience.

Auto stocks led the market decline as the Nifty plunged 600 points, with the sector falling up to 4% amid rising crude oil prices and Fed-driven macro concerns. Weak sentiment was compounded by geopolitical tensions, while banks and IT also dragged indices lower despite broader sectoral pressure.

Foreign selling in Indian equities surged in the first half of March, led by financials, marking the heaviest fortnightly selling in 17 months and dragging the Nifty 50 to its worst fortnight since the COVID-19-led rout in March 2020.

Karnataka's new excise policy is set to benefit United Breweries significantly. The state is shifting to a global taxation standard, deregulating alcohol pricing. This move is expected to lead to price corrections in the economy beer segment, where United Breweries holds a substantial market share. Analysts predict a positive impact on the company's revenue and earnings.

Shares of HDFC Bank slumped nearly 9% after part-time Chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned, citing value misalignment, prompting interim replacement Keki Mistry. The selloff marks the fifth 8%-plus single-day crash since 2020, even as the RBI flagged no governance concerns.

HDFC Bank's share price plummeted by up to 9%, wiping out over Rs 1 lakh crore in market value following the resignation of its part-time Chairman, Atanu Chakraborty. Chakraborty cited ethical concerns over the bank's practices in recent years. Interim Chairman Keki Mistry assured investors there was no power struggle and no governance issues were discussed by the board.

Shares of HPCL, BPCL and Indian Oil fell sharply on Thursday as crude oil prices surged past $110 per barrel amid escalating conflict involving Iran and Israel. Brokerages, including UBS, warn earnings may weaken sharply unless fuel pricing or subsidies change.

Crude-sensitive stocks including airlines, paint and tyre makers fell up to 4% as Brent crude surged above $110 amid escalating geopolitical tensions. Rising oil prices are expected to pressure margins and fuel costs, with analysts warning of potential impact on Indias macroeconomic indicators if elevated prices persist.

HDFC Bank's shares plummeted nearly 9%, dragging the Nifty Bank index down over 3% and breaching key support levels. Other major bank stocks also saw declines, influenced by HDFC Bank's fall and the US Federal Reserve's hawkish stance. Investors now await the RBI's upcoming meeting for further direction.

Ace investor Ashish Kacholia exited BEW Engineering entirely through a bulk deal, amid prolonged stock underperformance and declining prices, raising concerns about the companys near-term outlook despite its niche presence in pharmaceutical equipment manufacturing and past listing gains.

Seven stocks from the BSE 500 index slipped to their 52-week lows. A 52-week low marks the lowest level a stock has traded at over the past year, and is closely tracked by traders and investors to gauge valuations and potential future price trends.

Metal stocks, once among 2025s top performers, have slipped up to 15% since the IranIsrael/US conflict began on February 27. Despite showing resilience versus other sectors, high valuations and global risk-off sentiment are weighing on the space, leaving metals vulnerable to a deeper correction amid elevated macro uncertainty.