Dalal Street

• Indian equity markets are bracing for a volatile week as investors focus on May WPI inflation data, crude oil price fluctuations, and the US Federal Reserve's upcoming interest rate decision. • Market sentiment is heavily tied to a potential US-Iran agreement, with President Donald Trump suggesting a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be signed Sunday. • These factors are critical because they influence global liquidity, energy costs, and geopolitical stability, all of which directly impact foreign investor activity in India.

• Indian benchmark indices closed marginally lower on Friday following a volatile trading session driven by global developments and continued selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs). • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) opted to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% while maintaining a neutral monetary policy stance. • This stability in interest rates comes as investors digest the RBI's decision and assess its impact on market liquidity and economic growth.

• The Sensex plummeted by over 1,100 points during a mid-session trade on Wednesday, driven by a combination of tech stock declines and rising energy costs. • Crude oil prices surged toward the $100 per barrel mark due to renewed geopolitical tensions and flare-ups in the Persian Gulf region. • The market volatility caused the Indian rupee to weaken, dropping by approximately 50 paise in intra-day trading.

• India and the US will initiate a four-day round of talks starting Monday to finalize the details of a proposed interim trade agreement. • Market analysts, including Geojit Investments' Dr. V K Vijayakumar, note that Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) are shifting capital from India to the US, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. • This capital flight is driven by superior earnings growth and strong AI-related trade in those developed markets compared to poor earnings growth within India.

• The BSE Sensex gained 45 points and the Nifty50 climbed above the 24,000 mark on Tuesday, reversing an initial opening in the red. • Market volatility was driven by geopolitical tensions as the US resumed strikes on Iran, though positive developments regarding the conflict's end have sparked rallies. • The current trend is closely tied to fluctuations in crude oil prices, which previously contributed to a significant 1,073-point surge in the Sensex.