‘Black Monday’ on Dalal Street:Sensex nosedives 1,555 pts; Nifty loses 479 pts as markets sit on Trump’s 48-hour Iran bombing threat ticking time bomb

Share markets in India opened on a heavy selling mode on Monday, 23 March, 2026. The 30-share Sensex nosedived 1,555 points to 73,173.08 level. Similarly, the 50-share Nifty lost 479 points to 22,824.35. Sectoral indices mirrored the cautious mood: Sectorally, all indices on the NSE traded with losses, with Metals and PSU banks falling the most. 3 major reasons for market decline: Asian markets mostly fell on Monday US markets declined on March 20 Markets sit on Trump’s 48-hour Iran bombing threat ticking time bomb: The market sentiment turned cautious after US President Donald Trump issued a stern 48-hour ultimatum to Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, triggering fears of an intensified conflict in the coming days. Crude prices increased 1% to $112 per barrel Crude oil prices are rising today amid ongoing war between US-Israel and Iran. Brent crude is trading up more than 1% above $112 per barrel today. Meanwhile, Indian basket prices have reached $156 per barrel. FIIs selling in Indian market Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) made net sales of ₹5,518 crore on March 20. During this time, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) made purchases of ₹5,706 crore. So far in March, FIIs have withdrawn ₹86,780 crore. Meanwhile, DIIs have made purchases worth ₹1,01,168 crore. Markets settled higher on Friday Earlier on Friday, March 20, the stock market remained bullish. Sensex closed 325 points (0.44%) higher at 74,532 level. While Nifty also gained 112 points (0.49%), it closed at 23,114.