Sensex and Nifty enter eighth weekly loss, longest in 25 years
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The fall so far is about 8%, far less than in 2001, 2008 and 2020. Foreign selling, Brent above $100 and a weak rupee are cited.
Data as of 1 October 2026, 2pm IST. This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Readers should consult a registered adviser before investing.
The Sensex and Nifty are on course for an eighth straight weekly loss, the longest run in 25 years, Outlook Money and Whalesbook reported. The last time the benchmarks fell this long was 2001.
The fall so far is about 8%, according to Outlook Money. That is much shallower than in earlier long runs.
The indices opened lower again on 1 October
Whalesbook reported that the Sensex opened at 72,192.89, down 287.4 points, and the Nifty at 22,543.70, down 76.75 points. The Nifty closed at 22,620.45 on 30 September, down 0.75%.
The Nifty fell 6.1% in September, Whalesbook reported. To break the streak it needs a gain of about 2.30%, or 520 points, Outlook Money calculated. Thursday is the week's last session, as markets are shut on 2 October for Gandhi Jayanti.
Foreign selling, oil, bond yields and the rupee drove the run
Outlook Money and WION named the same pressures. Foreign portfolio investors sold Rs 25,662 crore of shares in September through the 29th, Outlook Money reported. Brent crude is about $103 a barrel, the US 10-year yield is above 5.23%, and the rupee is above 96 to the dollar.
WION described a day when 29 of the 30 Sensex stocks fell and Rs 7.4 lakh crore was wiped out, with the rupee at a record low of 96.03. It did not date the session. In one drop, the Sensex lost 1,124 points (1.52%) and the Nifty 360 points (1.56%).
WION's framing is that global shocks are overpowering India's domestic strength. Dr V K Vijayakumar of Geojit Investments cited "strong headwinds" from Brent at $106 and the 5.2% US yield.
The 25-year comparison shows a long but shallow fall
Outlook Money compared this run with earlier seven-week streaks that ended in 2001, 2008 and 2020. Those fell 20.5%, 22.1% and 33.3%.
Against those, the current fall of about 8% is far smaller. Length is the record here, not depth.
Risks and what could change
- A rebound of about 2.30% in the Nifty would break the streak, but that is not a forecast.
- Kkunal V Parar of Choice Broking said "we expect October to remain volatile".
- WION says the October Reserve Bank of India monetary policy meeting is expected to be a focus; no date was given.
- We could not confirm the final 1 October close or the weekly percentage loss. WION counted an earlier seventh week, so the "eighth" label depends on the weekly close.
How we did this
We compiled figures from Outlook Money, WION and Whalesbook, and attributed every number to its outlet. FPI selling figures differ between outlets (Whalesbook gave Rs 9,980.22 crore) and measure different periods, so we quote one.
This story was produced with AI assistance and reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication.
Covered by 7 outlets across the spectrum: 14% left, 57% center, 29% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (1): Whalesbook
- Center (4): Outlook Money, Deccan Herald, Free Press Journal, The Hindu BusinessLine
- Right-leaning (2): WION, Times Now
Sources
- Sensex and Nifty head for eighth weekly loss, the longest run in 25 years — WION (right-leaning) ·
- Sensex and Nifty head for eighth weekly loss, the longest run in 25 years — Outlook Money (center) ·
- Sensex and Nifty head for eighth weekly loss, the longest run in 25 years — Whalesbook (left-leaning) ·
- Closing Bell: Sensex Plunges Over 570 Points; Nifty Tests 22,421 — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- Stock markets fall for fourth day on relentless foreign fund outflows; Sensex drops 570 points — Deccan Herald (center) ·
- Nifty Sheds 2,149 Points In Relentless 8-Week Slide, Is India’s Benchmark Heading Towards A Bear Market? — Free Press Journal (center) ·
- Equities post eighth straight weekly loss as global headwinds intensify — The Hindu BusinessLine (center, AI-estimated) ·