Indian stocks suffer biggest drop in two weeks as US-Iran tensions push oil prices higher
Indian stocks saw their biggest drop in two weeks on Thursday as US-Iran tensions pushed oil prices higher. The slump hit all sectors amid inflation concerns.
Insights:
Indian equity benchmarks fell sharply on Feb. 19, 2026, as escalating tensions between the United States 
US and Iran 
IR pushed Brent crude oil prices higher and dampened investor sentiment across India 
IN. The decline represented the biggest daily loss for domestic benchmarks in more than two weeks and effectively erased gains from the prior three sessions. This sharp downturn coincided with a month-to-date index drop of approximately 15%, reflecting sustained pressure on the market throughout February.
US and Iran IR pushed Brent crude oil prices higher and dampened investor sentiment across India IN. The decline represented the biggest daily loss for domestic benchmarks in more than two weeks and effectively erased gains from the prior three sessions. This sharp downturn coincided with a month-to-date index drop of approximately 15%, reflecting sustained pressure on the market throughout February.The Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex indices both saw steep declines as Brent crude oil rose further following a prior 4% jump. The surge in energy costs has immediate implications for the economic outlook and imported inflation, given India's status as a major crude importer. Market participants also tracked the performance of the iPath Pure Beta Crude Oil ETN as a gauge for global oil price volatility. The sell-off was broad-based, impacting all major sectors and raising concerns about the potential for higher costs to feed into broader economic pressure.
