Stock Market: Market Crashes Immediately Upon Opening; Sensex Plummets 1,800 Points

New Delhi: The worst fears have come true; amidst negative signals streaming in from global markets, the Indian stock market crashed immediately upon opening. Escalating conflict involving Iran—against the backdrop of the US and Israel—coupled with soaring tensions in the Middle East, has triggered a surge in crude oil prices, severely dampening market sentiment on the first trading day of the week. The Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share benchmark, the Sensex, plunged by over 1,800 points right at the opening bell, while the National Stock Exchange’s Nifty also tumbled by around 575 points shortly after trading began. Meanwhile, all stocks listed under the BSE Large-Cap index were seen trading in the red.

Sensex and Nifty Crash Right at the Open

Chaos was evident in the stock market right from the opening bell on Monday—the first trading day of the week. The BSE Sensex index opened sharply lower at 73,732, a steep decline from its previous closing level of 74,532.96. Within just a few minutes, this downward spiral intensified further, causing the Sensex to shed approximately 1,600 points and drop to the 72,977 level. Moments later, the decline deepened even further, with the Sensex sliding by over 1,800 points to trade at 72,724.

It was not just the Sensex; the NSE’s Nifty-50 index also plummeted immediately upon opening. Compared to its previous Friday close of 23,114, this index opened lower at 22,824. Subsequently, tracking the movements of the Sensex, it plummeted by a massive 480 points within minutes to hit the 22,634 level; after a brief period of trading, it was seen trading at 22,538—down 575 points.

These Stocks Crashed Immediately Upon Opening
The magnitude of the market turmoil witnessed on Monday can be gauged from the fact that all 30 stocks included in the BSE LargeCap index opened in the red, recording declines. Looking at the stocks that suffered the heaviest losses, Tata Steel (down 4%), SBI (3%), Bajaj Finance (2.67%), HDFC Bank (2.60%), IndiGo (2.50%), Titan (2.50%), BEL (2.49%), and Adani Ports (2.40%) were all trading with significant declines.

Negative Signals Received from Global Markets
The Indian stock market had already been receiving negative signals from global markets. On Monday, chaos was evident across all Asian stock markets. Japan’s Nikkei index plunged 4.10 percent to trade at the 50,800 level, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped nearly 3 percent to trade at 24,532.

Furthermore, South Korea’s KOSPI index experienced a sudden, massive crash shortly after trading began, plummeting 5.10 percent to reach 5,409. Additionally, the DAX (down 2.01%), CAC (1.90%), and FTSE-100 (1.50%) all recorded losses.