Business

Share Market Analysis and Global Risk Factors

Monday, May 18, 2026
5 min read
Share Market Analysis and Global Risk Factors

Share market stuff today. It recovered sharply from those early losses on May 18th. But you could feel the caution everywhere. The big picture still felt shaky because crude oil prices were high, and global risk-off vibes were hanging around.

Around eleven forty, the Nifty 50 was sitting at 23,556.35. It dipped a little bit, down 0.37 per cent. That was after it had tumbled earlier, losing nearly 1.19 per cent, hitting 23,363 in the opening. The Sensex also clawed back from the morning lows. It had dropped nearly 900 points earlier in the session. Then it pared those losses a bit, trading lower by 271 points at 74,966.30.

The rebound mostly came from the IT heavyweights. That’s where the buying was strong. Nifty IT actually turned positive, up 1.40 per cent. It was the top performer, naturally. Stocks like Tech Mahindra, Infosys, TCS all saw nice jumps, up to 3.13 per cent. People seemed to be shifting money towards export sectors, expecting some relief from the rupee weakness.

Pharma shares also showed some defensive buying. Nifty Pharma barely moved, just down 0.11 per cent. Healthcare indices, though, kept outperforming the rest of the market.

But don't get too comfortable. The broader market was still under real pressure. Nifty Smallcap 100 was still down 1.50 per cent. And the Microcap 250? That one fell 2 per cent. It just shows how weak the riskier parts of the market are still feeling.

Looking at the sectors, consumer-facing stuff and anything sensitive to interest rates saw heavy selling. Nifty Consumer Durables dropped 2.54 per cent. PSU Banks felt the squeeze too, falling 2.07 per cent. Media slipped 1.92 per cent. Metal and auto stocks? They just stayed weak.

Banking stocks, which were dragging things down at the start, managed a partial recovery. Nifty Bank managed to narrow its losses to just 0.81 per cent, compared to the steeper drops seen earlier. Private Banks were down only 0.38 per cent.

India VIX shot up over 4 per cent, hitting 19.56. That just screams that nervousness hasn't gone away, even with that small rebound.

The sharp jump from the lows suggests some bargain hunting happened after that initial panic. But that feeling of fragility lingers. Brent crude oil is above $110 a barrel now, and US bond yields are climbing, and everyone is worried about the rupee.

V K Vijayakumar, the chief investment strategist over at Geojit Investments, put it plainly. He said the market is going to start the week weak, based on global signals. Brent crude spiking to $111, especially without any moves on the Strait of Hormuz, is a big worry. Higher crude means more hikes in petrol and diesel. That hits inflation.

He pointed out the US 10-year bond yield, up to 4.62 per cent, is another negative factor for EM markets. And the rupee might just keep falling, feeding that whole cycle of depreciation and FPI selling.

But there’s a counterpoint. He noted that export-oriented sectors, like pharma, are still resilient. And those big private banks? They are fundamentally strong, even under pressure from FPI selling. Long-term investors should look to accumulate those stocks right now, while things look weak.

The real kicker, though, is that this whole oil price spike is a massive concern for India. We rely so much on imports. Higher crude just makes inflation worse. It pressures the rupee and eats into corporate margins, especially for anything tied to fuel and logistics.

The market breadth was really poor in the opening. Most major indices were in the red. Heavyweights across banking, oil and gas, metals, and consumer goods were all bleeding selling pressure. It was a tough start.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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