Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) continued their selling streak on Wednesday as they net sold equities worth Rs 8,331.15 crore on the first day of April. This marked the 22nd straight session when the overseas investors remained net sellers.
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs), on the other hand, stayed net buyers for the 24th session in a row, as they mopped up equities worth Rs 7,171.8 crore.
So far in 2026, FPIs have net sold Indian equities worth Rs 1.31 lakh crore. The bulk of the outflows came in March, when overseas investors pulled out Rs 1.18 lakh crore amid the US-Iran war jitters. This was the highest-ever selling by FPIs within a month's period, exceeding it previous high outflow months such as October 2024 (Rs 94,017 crore), January 2025 (Rs 78,027 crore), March 2020 (Rs 61,973 crore), and June 2022 (Rs 50,203 crore).
The latest bout of selling comes amid rising global uncertainty and escalating tensions in the Middle East, which has led to risk aversion among global investors and triggered capital outflows from emerging markets, including India.
Last week, FPIs offloaded equities worth Rs 24,596 crore, while DIIs bought shares worth Rs 26,897 crore, helping protect the market from sharper declines.
As per the monthly data available with the NSDL, FPIs sold equities worth Rs 35,962 crore in January. However, in February, foreign investors briefly turned net buyers, purchasing equities worth Rs 22,615 crore amid improving global risk sentiment. With the ongoing geopolitical crisis, FPIs once again turned aggressive sellers in March.
Market Recap
Indian equity benchmarks rallied on Wednesday, halting a two-day losing streak amid positive global cues after US President Donald Trump signalled a potential end to the Iran war. The BSE Sensex rose as much as 2.6%, or 1,900 points, to 73,847.08 and the NSE Nifty 50 rose as much as 2.6% to 22,902.25.
ALSO READ: Trade Setup For April 2: Nifty Eyes Relief Rally After 350-Point Jump; Resistance At 22,800
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