After Monday’s bloodbath, Indian stock markets remained closed on March 31, 2026, on account of Mahavir Jayanti. Trading and settlement activities across both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India were suspended for the day. This included equities, derivatives, and the securities lending and borrowing segment. Regular market operations are set to resume on Wednesday, April 1.

Asian Markets Today

Asian markets showed mixed trends amid rising crude oil prices and ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Markets in South Korea declined, while Japan and Hong Kong traded with marginal gains. Investor sentiment remained cautious due to geopolitical uncertainties.

US Share Markets

In the United States, stock indices ended mostly lower, extending their losing streak as oil prices continued to climb. Concerns over the Iran conflict and rising inflation rattled US markets on Monday. The S&P 500 fell 0.39%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.73%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended largely flat.

Indian Share Markets

Back in India, benchmark indices closed sharply lower on March 30. The BSE Sensex declined 1,635.67 points, or 2.22%, to settle at 71,947.55 after hitting an intraday low of 71,774.13. Similarly, the Nifty 50 dropped 488.20 points, or 2.14%, to close at 22,331.40, with an intraday low of 22,283.85.

Broader markets also remained under pressure. The Nifty Midcap 100 fell 2.68%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 declined 2.66%. All sectoral indices ended in the red, with banking and financial stocks emerging as the biggest laggards.

Crude oil prices

Due to the intensifying Israel-Iran war, oil prices have surged above USD 115 per barrel in the international market. This marks an increase of nearly 60% in March alone, largely due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. For India, which imports roughly 85% of its oil, this spike has drastically increased the demand for US dollars, pushing the rupee to record lows in the Rs 94.80–Rs 95.20 range.