Sensex drops 245 points on persistent foreign fund outflows

Market Performance - Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined, with Sensex dropping 244.98 points (0.29%) to 83,382.71 and Nifty falling 66.70 points (0.26%) to 25,665.60, extending previous losses due to weakness in IT, consumption, and select banking stocks [1][4] - The BSE Sensex experienced a larger intraday drop of 442.49 points (0.52%) during the trading session [4] Sector Performance - Major laggards included Tata Consultancy Services, Asian Paints, Maruti, Sun Pharma, Hindustan Unilever, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra, HDFC Bank, and Larsen & Toubro [4] - Conversely, Tata Steel, NTPC, Axis Bank, and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers [6] Investor Activity - Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth ₹1,499.81 crore, while domestic institutional investors purchased stocks worth ₹1,181.78 crore [6] Geopolitical and Economic Factors - Escalating geopolitical tensions and persistent foreign fund outflows contributed to market weakness, alongside fresh tariff-related uncertainties that unsettled investors [1][3] Global Market Context - In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng indices closed higher, while Shanghai's SSE Composite index ended lower [6] - Brent crude oil prices decreased by 0.99% to $64.82 per barrel [7]