Indian equity benchmarks closed lower for a third consecutive session on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The BSE Sensex dropped 460.30 points, or 0.62 per cent, to end at 73,249.39, while the NSE Nifty 50 declined 123.70 points, or 0.54 per cent, to settle at 22,687.65, according to closing market data reported by ScanX.
Source: ScanX closing market report
The Hindu BusinessLine's live market coverage said the benchmarks recovered partially from their opening lows by midday but remained firmly in the red for a third straight session, weighed down by surging crude oil prices, geopolitical uncertainty and broad-based selling across sectors. Market breadth was weak: of the 3,598 stocks traded on the NSE in the afternoon, 952 advanced while 2,548 declined, and 403 stocks hit 52-week lows.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine
Selling was heaviest in industrial and capital-goods-linked sectors. ScanX's closing data showed Printing and Stationery plunging 8.50 per cent and Cables falling 3.74 per cent, while automobiles were a rare bright spot, gaining 1.01 per cent, with trading and media stocks also managing modest gains.
Crude above $110 keeps pressure on
PTI reported in early trade that Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose nearly 2 per cent to USD 110.68 per barrel, and that Asian markets were sharply lower, with South Korea's Kospi declining 3.12 per cent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng falling 3 per cent and Japan's Nikkei 225 losing 1.94 per cent. A market analyst quoted by PTI said strong external headwinds from elevated crude prices and high US bond yields were emboldening sellers.
Source: PTI via The Sen Times
Institutional flows offered some support a day earlier: foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 1,022.32 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors purchased shares worth Rs 1,614.32 crore, according to exchange data cited by PTI. On Wednesday, the Sensex had fallen 143.21 points to close at 73,709.69 and the Nifty had dropped 77.60 points to 22,811.35 — yaani (meaning) Thursday's fall extended a losing run that has now lasted three sessions.