India's Stock Market Takes a Hit from Crude Prices and Middle East Tensions

The Indian stock market ended lower on Friday due to elevated crude oil prices and ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East.

The benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, recovered from their intraday lows but remained in negative territory. The Sensex closed at 78,009.25, down 70.71 points or 0.09%, while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,366, lower by 29.85 points or 0.12%.

Crude oil prices remained high, with WTI crude trading at $81.87 a barrel and Brent crude at $87.22. This kept pressure on investor sentiment, particularly for India as a major crude importer.