Indian Shares Slip in Early Trade as Oil and Risk Weigh

Indian benchmark shares were lower in early trading on September 30, as investors weighed volatile crude prices and uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran conflict. Around 9:06 a.m., the Sensex was down 117.10 points, or 0.16%, at 72,411.97, while the Nifty had fallen 76.40 points, or 0.34%, to 22,639.80. Another opening snapshot showed the indices starting near 72,441 and 22,665, reflecting different moments in a fluctuating market. The early weakness followed a sharp fall in the previous session. On September 29, the Sensex closed at 72,771.72, down 1.52%, and the Nifty settled at 22,780.25, a decline of 1.56%, according to reported closing figures. The indices had also come under pressure on September 28, when the Nifty moved below 23,000 in intraday trading. Analysts cited in market reports pointed to several pressures on equities, including oil-price volatility, foreign investor selling, high US Treasury yields and fundraising through initial public offerings. Their comments described possible influences on sentiment; the available figures do not establish how much each factor contributed to the declines. Geopolitical concerns were also part of the market backdrop.