Indian benchmarks fell more than 2% in the week ended October 25, their fourth straight weekly decline, as soft September-quarter earnings, margin pressure, sustained FII outflows and geopolitical tension weighed on sentiment. The Sensex closed below the psychological 80,000 mark at 79,402 (down 2.24% for the week); the Nifty 50 slid 2.7%, or 673 points, to 24,181 — its lowest close since late June and roughly 8% off its late-September record high.
Going into Diwali week, markets are expected to stay cautious as attention turns to more corporate earnings, a cluster of US economic data including GDP, and the run-up to the US presidential election on November 5. Monthly F&O contracts expire on Thursday.