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The Indian benchmark indices witnessed losses on Friday as the Sensex fell over 105 points to close at more than 75,292 and the Nifty declined over 29 points to end over 23,660.

Previously, during the early morning session, the BSE Sensex rang the opening bell below 75,300, tanking more than 100 points, while the NSE Nifty50 opened trading around 23,700, inching up almost 30 points, as of 9:15 AM.

Fuel Price Hike Returns To Spotlight

Market sentiment was also weighed down by the Centre’s decision to raise petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 across the four metro cities, marking the first fuel price increase in four years.

The move comes amid elevated global crude oil prices and has revived concerns over inflationary pressures and consumer spending.

Investors Track Trump-Xi Talks Closely

Global investors remained focused on the second day of high-stakes talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Fresh tensions emerged after Xi warned that the Taiwan issue could become a major flashpoint in US-China relations if handled improperly by Washington. The remarks added another layer of uncertainty to already fragile global market sentiment.

Asian Markets Slip Despite Wall Street Rally

Most Asian equities traded lower on Friday, failing to fully reflect the strong overnight rally on Wall Street.

South Korea’s Kospi briefly crossed the 8,000 mark for the first time, driven by sharp gains in Samsung Electronics amid continued enthusiasm around artificial intelligence-linked stocks. However, the index later erased gains and slipped nearly 2.6 per cent.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.58 per cent, while China’s CSI 300 declined 0.89 per cent.

Wall Street Scales Fresh Highs On AI Optimism

US markets ended firmly higher overnight, led by strong gains in technology stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.77 per cent, while the S&P 500 gained 0.75 per cent. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.88 per cent after Nvidia surged on reports that the US had cleared sales of its H200 chips to Chinese companies.

The rally reinforced optimism surrounding the artificial intelligence boom, which continues to drive investor interest globally.

Oil Prices Stay Elevated Amid Hormuz Crisis

Crude oil prices remained elevated as tensions in West Asia continued to disrupt global energy supply chains.

Brent crude futures climbed above $106 per barrel amid persistent uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz. Concerns intensified following reports of attacks on ships and continued disruptions in the region.

Analysts said the lack of progress in reopening the strategic waterway remains a key risk for inflation and global growth.

Gold, Silver Retreat As Dollar Strengthens

Precious metals traded lower in early trade, with gold futures falling 1.43 per cent and silver futures dropping 4.69 per cent.

The decline came as a stronger US dollar and rising bond yields reduced the appeal of safe-haven assets.