Sensex Falls 319 Points, Nifty Slips Below 25,150 as Oil Prices and Inflation Weigh

Indian equity markets end Friday's session in the red as rising crude oil prices and higher retail inflation trigger selling pressure. However, both benchmark indices manage to finish the week with gains.

The Indian stock market ended lower on Friday, November 13, as concerns over rising crude oil prices and inflation weighed on investor sentiment.

The BSE Sensex declined 318.56 points, or 0.39%, to close at 81,592.45. The NSE Nifty 50 fell 155.05 points, or 0.61%, to settle at 25,144.30.

Despite Friday's decline, both benchmark indices managed to record weekly gains. The Sensex advanced around 0.7%, while the Nifty gained approximately 0.5% during the week. Why Did the Market Fall Today?

Two major factors affected market sentiment:

Rising Crude Oil Prices: Brent crude traded around $95.70 per barrel amid concerns over disruptions to global oil supplies.

Higher Inflation: India's October retail inflation rose to 6.09%, moving above the RBI's upper tolerance limit of 6%.

Selling pressure was particularly visible in banking and financial stocks, which had supported the recent market rally.

Top Stocks in Focus

Stocks that gained:

Apollo Hospitals

Dr Reddy's Laboratories

Sun Pharmaceutical

ONGC

Tech Mahindra

Stocks that declined:

Shriram Finance

HDFC Bank

Hindalco Industries

InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo)

Mahindra & Mahindra. What About Foreign Investors?

Foreign institutional investors continued their buying activity, recording net purchases of approximately ₹7,831 crore on Thursday.

Their November investments have reached around $8 billion, marking the strongest monthly foreign inflows since December 2020.

However, continued foreign buying was not enough to offset concerns over inflation and rising oil prices. What Should Investors Watch Next Week?

Investors will closely monitor crude oil prices, inflation trends, foreign fund flows and upcoming corporate earnings.

Although the market ended the week with gains, rising inflation and expensive crude oil could continue to create volatility.

Traders may remain selective, while long-term investors should focus on company fundamentals and avoid making decisions based solely on short-term market movements.