Indian shares log best month in over two years as earnings, valuations temper oil-driven risks
Indian shares partly recovered from March’s steep selloff with gains in April, but Thursday’s decline highlighted lingering fragility as surging oil prices and a weakening rupee hurt sentiment. The Nifty 50 fell 0.74% to 23,997.55 and the BSE Sensex shed 0.75% to 76,913.50, while the rupee hit a record low after a jump in crude prices and a hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve. Indian markets will be shut on Friday for a holiday and reopen on Monday, May 4. Brent crude climbed to about $126 a barrel during the session, a four-year high, after Axios reported the U.S. military was set to brief President Donald Trump on new options against Iran. The move revived concerns over imported inflation and pressure on India’s external balances, weighing on equities and the rupee. Still, the Nifty and Sensex rose 7.5% and 6.9% in April, their best monthly performance since December 2023, partly recovering from March’s more than 11% slump. The mid-month Iran ceasefire, attractive valuations and an earnings season largely free of major negative surprises helped overpower record foreign outflows.