Sensex Closes Slightly Lower

2026-05-19 11:00 By Luisa Carvalho 1 min. read

India’s BSE Sensex gave up some early gains to close about 0.2% down at 75.201 after a volatile session on Tuesday, on profit-taking in select heavyweights amid lingering uncertainty around the US-Iran conflict.

Initial optimism over a temporary halt in US operations in Iran faded, with crude oil prices remaining elevated and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persisting.

President Trump said he postponed planned strikes after requests from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE amid ongoing negotiations with Tehran, but warned that the US remains prepared to launch a “full-scale assault” if talks fail.

In equities, Kotak Mahindra Bank (-2.5%), UltraTech Cement (-1.7%), Titan (-1.6%), Bharti Airtel (-1.3%) and Sun Pharma (-1.2%) were the top losers.

On the other hand, IT stocks recorded strong gains due to expectations of benefits from the weakening rupee and attractive valuations.

Infosys (4-8%) , HCL Tech (+2.7%), Tech Mahindra (2.6%), and TCS (1.9%) all advanced solidly.



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