Global Risk-Off: Indian Equities Correct as Brent Crude Surges and FPIs Sell Aggressively | BNP Paribas Mutual Fund

Global Risk-Off: Indian Equities Correct as Brent Crude Surges and FPIs Sell Aggressively

Indian Developments

The week ending March 13, 2026, was one of the most volatile for Indian equities in years, driven by a sharp escalation in West Asia tensions and a massive "oil shock." Benchmark indices recorded their worst weekly drop in nearly four years, with the Nifty 50 plunging approximately 5% over the five-day period.

Brent crude surged past the $100/barrel mark, briefly hitting highs near $117 earlier in the week due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict.

FII remained aggressive sellers, offloading equities worth over ?7,000 crore in single sessions, totalling significant outflows for the week.

While India’s macro fundamentals remain resilient, the immediate pressure from high oil prices and a weakening Rupee has pushed the Nifty into near-oversold territory.

Sectoral Developments

The sell-off was broad-based, though "defensives" offered slight relative protection.

  • Major Laggards: Nifty Metal was the top loser, falling ~4.5% on Friday alone. PSU Banks, Auto, and Real Estate also faced heavy selling due to interest rate and inflation concerns.
  • Defensive Outperformance: Nifty FMCG was the only major sectoral index to trade in the green during the final session of the week, as investors sought safety.
  • IT Sector: Faced double pressure from global risk-off sentiment and ongoing concerns regarding AI-led structural disruptions.

Global Developments

Global cues remained overwhelmingly negative as investors moved toward safe-haven assets.

  • U.S. Markets: Major indexes fell (Dow -1.31%, S&P 500 -0.44%) as sticky PPI data signalled persistent service-sector inflation. This was compounded by AI-disruption and tariff worries, while factory orders declined by 0.7%.
  • European Markets: The STOXX 600 reached a new high (+0.52%) as investors diversified away from U.S. tech and toward European earnings. Despite mixed inflation data, business confidence in Germany (Ifo) and France showed marked improvement.
  • Asian Markets: Japanese indices led a regional rally (Nikkei +3.56%, TOPIX +3.42%) despite U.S. tariff rhetoric. The Yen softened following dovish Bank of Japan board nominations, even as Tokyo CPI data supported a cautious tightening path.

Other Markets

  • Brent Crude: $100.87 per barrel
  • Rupee ended the week at ?92.45 against the US dollar
  • 10-Year Benchmark Yield: 6.698%
  • Gold prices closed at Rs 1,57,863 per 10 grams.

Source: www.nseindices.com; MCX Gold Prices; Economic times, Bloomberg.

Data for week ended on March 13, 2026.

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