Despite a challenging global environment, Indian stock markets managed to end the truncated trading week with modest gains. The benchmark Sensex, after dipping to an intraday low of 71,546, rebounded by 2.5%, closing at 73,320. Similarly, the Nifty 50 rose 0.2% to settle at 22,713, although both indices recorded their sixth consecutive weekly loss, marking their longest losing streak since October 2025. The positive market performance occurred against a backdrop of a nearly 10% increase in Brent crude prices, which reached around $110 per barrel, following comments from US President Donald Trump about increased tensions with Iran. Market analysts noted that value-buying and short-covering contributed to the recovery, alongside gains in heavyweight IT stocks. The Nifty IT index surged 2.6%, driven by strong performances from companies like HCLTech and Infosys. However, broader market indices underperformed, with the Nifty Smallcap 100 and Nifty Midcap 100 both declining by about 0.3%. Additionally, foreign portfolio investors pulled out around ₹10,000 crore from domestic equities, while domestic mutual funds invested nearly ₹90,000 crore, the highest since October 2024. The mixed macroeconomic signals, including a slowdown in manufacturing growth and rising fuel prices, continue to raise inflation and growth concerns.