Stock markets pare early gains; trade lower
Asian Paints, Adani Ports, Tata Steel and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the winners. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Benchmark equity indices slipped in the negative territory after rising marginally during early trade on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) amid elevated crude oil prices and persistent geopolitical uncertainty.
Foreign fund exodus also hit investor sentiment.
The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 75.64 points to 74,614.51 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty went up by 17.10 points to 23,391.10.
However, both the benchmark indices failed to carry forward the momentum. The BSE benchmark traded 182.60 points lower at 74,362.19, and the Nifty quoted 41.05 points down at 23,352.25.
From the 30-Sensex firms, Power Grid, NTPC, Bajaj Finance, State Bank of India, Titan and Axis Bank were among the biggest laggards.
Asian Paints, Adani Ports, Tata Steel and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the winners.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded at around $106.6 per barrel.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹1,959.39 crore on Tuesday (May 12, 2026), according to exchange data.
India’s retail inflation rose slightly to 3.48% in April, mainly due to higher prices of gold and silver jewellery as well as some kitchen items, according to government data released on Tuesday (May 12, 2026).
“The S&P 500 slipped amid weakness in technology stocks and rising oil prices after the U.S. inflation print for April came in hotter than expected,” Hariprasad K., Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, said.
Markets are increasingly concerned that rising crude oil prices and persistent geopolitical uncertainty could further intensify inflationary pressure globally, he added.
In Asian markets, South Korea’s benchmark Kospi, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index quoted in positive territory.
U.S. markets ended mostly lower on Tuesday (May 12, 2026).
“Iran’s latest remarks stating that the U.S. must either accept its peace proposal or face ‘failure’ have further reduced hopes of an immediate diplomatic resolution. The prolonged U.S.–Iran standoff remains a major overhang for global financial markets, keeping uncertainty elevated around the Strait of Hormuz and broader global energy supplies,” Ponmudi R., CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.
On Tuesday (May 12, 2026), the Sensex tanked 1,456.04 points, or 1.92%, to settle at 74,559.24. The Nifty dropped 436.30 points, or 1.83%, to end at 23,379.55.
Published – May 13, 2026 10:37 am IST
