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Informist, Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

By Arya S. Biju

MUMBAI – Benchmark equity indices ended on a negative note, after rising for five straight sessions, dragged down by a sharp fall in information technology stocks after IT bellwether Accenture's weak sales guidance sparked concerns over discretionary spending. Crude oil prices rebounded to around $81 per barrel intraday amid uncertainty over the outcome of peace talks between the US and Iran, after Switzerland confirmed the talks had been postponed.

Further, fresh attacks by Israel on Lebanon, raised concern about the preliminary deal turning into a final agreement. Some reports also noted that peace talks had been suspended due to ongoing Israeli air strikes. This came a day after US forces lifted the naval blockade on Iranian ports and coastlines as part of the interim peace deal. At 1557 IST, the August Futures contract of Brent Crude came off highs and was 0.6% lower at around $79 per barrel. 

Friday, the Nifty 50 index closed at 24013.10, down 154.90 points or 0.6%. The BSE Sensex settled at 76802.90, down 607.08 points or 0.8%. Over the week, the indices fell around 2% each. "The equity markets witnessed profit booking following the recent relief rally, as investor sentiment was dampened by the unexpected cancellation of peace talks between the US and Iran," Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Investments, said in a note. In the near term, investors are likely to adopt a cautious tone, with participants awaiting greater clarity on the peace deal and monitoring the slow progress of the southwest monsoon, he added.  More