Indian Markets Expected to Open Lower Amid Global Volatility

Indian markets are expected to open lower on Monday, tracking negative cues globally. The GIFT Nifty slipped in morning trade, down 0.6%. Market participants are expected to closely monitor crude oil prices, rupee movement, foreign investor flows and developments in West Asia . Investors will also watch whether global diplomatic efforts help reduce geopolitical tension. For domestic markets, the focus may remain on sectors linked to energy, commodities and exports, while volatility in currency and commodity markets could continue to influence investor sentiment. Indian markets ended Friday’s session on a weak note, erasing all intraday gains amid late selling pressure. The Nifty slipped 46 points, or 0.19%, to close at 23,644, while the Sensex declined 160 points, or 0.21%, to settle at 75,238. Asian markets traded lower on Monday. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.2%, although the Topix index managed to edge 0.1% higher. South Korean markets saw sharper losses, with both the Kospi and Kosdaq falling over 2%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.76%. US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, raising concerns about a possible escalation in Middle East tension and its impact on global oil supplies. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran should “get moving, Fast,” and warned that “the Clock is Ticking.” He further added that there “won’t be anything left” if action was not taken soon and said, “Time is of the essence!” Oil prices moved higher in early trade, with both global benchmarks gaining over 1%. Brent crude rose 1.34% to $110.72 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 1.75% to $107.26 per barrel. US markets ended sharply lower on Friday. The S&P 500 fell 1.24% to close at 7,408.50, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.54% to settle at 26,225.14. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also dropped 537.29 points, or 1.07%, to end at 49,526.17. The US Dollar Index (DXY) , which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was trading at 99.37 on Monday morning. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The Indian rupee hit a record closing low of 95.86 against the US dollar on Friday, May 15, after briefly slipping below the 96 per dollar mark during the trading session. The sharp fall in the currency was largely driven by elevated crude oil prices, inflation worries and continued pressure from global market uncertainty. So far in 2026, the rupee has weakened more than 6% against the U.S. dollar. In the international market, gold was trading at $4,519 per ounce. Gold prices in India remain in sharp focus. On the MCX, June gold futures were trading at Rs 1,58,450 per 10 grams in the latest update. Silver rates are in focus. In the international market, silver (XAG/USD) was trading at around $75.29 per ounce. The government has tightened rules for silver imports shortly after raising customs duties on precious metals. Under the new notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), several silver imports will now come under the “restricted” category instead of “free” import status. This means businesses will need government approval before importing products such as silver bars, raw silver, semi-finished silver items and silver powder into India. On May 15, Foreign Institutional Investors and Foreign Portfolio Investors were net buyers in the Indian equity market as they purchased shares worth Rs 1,329 crore. Meanwhile, Domestic Institutional Investors turned net sellers and offloaded shares worth Rs 1,958 crore during the trading session. In the last trading session, the Rubber sector emerged among the top gainers, with its market capitalisation rising 1.68%. The Textiles sector also seen strong traction, gaining 1.49% . The Alcoholic Beverages sector advanced 1.43% during the session. In the last trading session, the Jaypee Group emerged as one of the top gainers, with its market capitalisation rising 8.53%, while the Rane Group gained 5.88%. The Avantha Group also advanced 4.37% during the session. On the losing side, the Yash Birla Group declined 3.62%, while the Vedanta Group slipped 3.86%. Meanwhile, the Muthoot Group witnessed sharper selling pressure and fell 6.1% in the last trading session.