Sensex falls 172 pts, Nifty at 24,219 amid geopolitical crisis

The domestic share market traded lower on Monday,amid selling in heavyweight stocks and across sectors, barring metal and realty.At close, the Sensex was down 171.72 points or 0.22 percent at 77,369.11, and the Nifty was down 32.95 points or 0.14 percent at 24,219.05.Meanwhile, the rise in geopolitical crisis after Iran threatened to seize vessels and change transit rules for the Strait of Hormuz ahead of the US’s announcement of sanctions against Iran, further weighed on investor sentiment.
Hindalco, JSW Steel, Dr Reddy's Labs, Tata Steel and HCL Technologies were the top gainers on the Nifty, while losers included SBI Life Insurance, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Bharat Electronics, Adani Ports.On the sectoral front, Except IT, energy, metal and realty, all other sectoral indices ended in the red with PSU Bank down 1, private bank, media, consumer durables down 0.3-0.5%.The broader indices were mixed, with Nifty midcap index rising 0.13%, while smallcap index shed 0.26%.
Rupee Close: 
On 24 Aug'26,the Indian rupee pared initial gains and settled for the day lower by 3 paise at 95.74 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Monday, on a positive American currency and weak domestic markets, according to agency reports.Forex traders said the USD/INR pair traded in a narrow range as rising Brent crude prices, persistent importer demand, and cautious sentiment over new U.S. sanctions targeting Iran weighed on investor sentiment.
Trading Guide: 
Market experts recommended five breakout stocks to buy on Monday— Hindustan Zinc, Netweb Technologies India, Icici Prudential Life Insurance Comp, Prime Focus Limited, and Power Grid Corporation of India.

(Business Correspondent)