Business
80% Stocks Already In Bear Market; Should You Buy The Dip Or Run For Safety?
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India’s Sensex and Nifty correct 6-7%, with 80% of stocks in bear territory. Monarch AIF reports 64% of stocks over Rs 1,000 crore market cap has fallen 30%.
Hundreds of midcap and smallcap companies have quietly lost significant value.
India’s benchmark indices may not show it, but a large part of the market is already in deep correction. According to a report by Monarch AIF, while the Sensex and Nifty have corrected only about 6-7 per cent from their record highs, nearly 80 per cent of listed stocks are already in bear market territory.
The data highlights a sharp divergence between headline indices and the broader market.
Majority of Stocks Deep In Correction
The report analysed companies with a market capitalisation above Rs 1,000 crore.
It found that over 64 per cent of these stocks have fallen more than 30 per cent from their all-time highs. Nearly 78 per cent have declined over 20 per cent.
In simple terms, most stocks in the market have already seen a brutal correction even though benchmark indices remain relatively elevated.
This unusual divergence has been playing out for the past 18 months.
Why Indices Are Still Holding Up
According to the report, Indian markets are witnessing a rare phase of simultaneous time and value correction.
A narrow set of large-cap stocks has kept the benchmark indices elevated. Meanwhile, hundreds of midcap and smallcap companies have quietly lost significant value.
This has created a misleading picture where the indices appear stable but the broader market has been under sustained pressure.
Now A New Shock: Middle East War
The situation has become more complicated after the recent escalation in West Asia.
Following US-Israel strikes on Iran, global markets have turned volatile and crude oil prices have surged.
Amid these developments, the Sensex recently fell over 1,000 points, while the Nifty slipped below the 24,900 level.
For investors, the challenge is that a market already weakened by months of selling is now facing geopolitical risks and a potential oil shock.
Should Investors Buy Or Wait?
Aakash Shah, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Equity Broking, advised caution. “Amid persistent global uncertainties and elevated volatility, market participants are advised to maintain discipline and adopt a selective approach, focusing on fundamentally strong stocks during corrective phases. Fresh long positions should ideally be considered only after a decisive and sustained breakout above the 25,000 mark on the Nifty, which would signal improving sentiment and confirm the development of a stronger bullish structure,” he said.
Key Risk For India: Rising Oil
V K Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments, said the biggest concern for India is rising crude prices.
“With the war escalating and crude rising, markets are going into a period of heightened uncertainty. Nobody knows how long this conflict will go on and what will be the extent of the havoc it could wreck. From the perspective of India, which relies on imports for around 85% of her oil requirements, the real concern is the potential inflation and its consequences on economic growth. From the market perspective, the impact of potentially widening trade deficit, depreciating currency, higher inflation and perhaps lower growth is the real issue. If this fear materialises, corporate earnings will be impacted,” he said.
However, he added that the impact may be temporary if the conflict ends quickly.
“If it ends in, say 3 to 4 weeks, things will be back to normal,” he said.
Don’t Panic, Use Corrections
Despite the volatility, Vijayakumar advised investors not to panic. “Experience tells us that panicking and getting out of the market during uncertain times like these is not the right thing to do. Markets have an uncanny ability to surprise and climb all walls of worries,” he said.
According to him, investors with a long investment horizon and higher risk appetite can gradually accumulate quality stocks during corrections.
He added that sectors such as banking, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and defence may offer attractive long-term opportunities.
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March 04, 2026, 13:39 IST
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Business
Asian stocks today: Markets inch higher mirroring Wall Street gains; Kospi jumps 10%, Nikkei up 1,400 points – The Times of India
Asian stocks inched higher on Thursday, after days of trading in red amid ongoing Middle East tensions. This comes as equities were lifted by a rebound on Wall Street as oil prices paused their recent spike and economic updates painted a more positive picture of the American economy. In South Korea, Kospi hit a pause on its downward rally to add a whopping 10% or 513 points, to reach 5,606. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also climbed 2.7% to 55,713. Hong Kong’s HSI also traded in green, rising 353 points to 25,603 as of 9:10 am. Shanghai and Shenzhen added 0.9% and 1.7% respectively. Gains elsewhere in the region were more modest. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3% to 8,927.20, while New Zealand’s benchmark index moved 0.9% higher. In contrast, US futures indicated a subdued start ahead. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were almost unchanged, while S&P 500 futures ticked up 0.2%. The S&P 500 advanced 0.8% on Wednesday, clawing back much of the decline seen since the onset of the Iran conflict. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite outperformed with a 1.3% gain. Globally, market sentiment has remained sensitive to developments in the Middle East, with oil price swings continuing to steer trading direction. Crude prices eased during Wednesday’s session. Brent crude briefly moved above $84 a barrel before settling at $81.40, roughly matching the previous day’s level. US benchmark crude edged up 0.1% to finish at $74.66 per barrel. By early Thursday, however, oil was on the rise again. Brent crude climbed 2.4% to $83.32 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude jumped 2.5% to $76.53 per barrel.
It is also the first time the target has been lowered since it was cut to “around 5%” in 2023.
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World’s Second-Largest Shipping Firm Maersk Suspends Cargo Bookings Across West Asia Amid War
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Maersk has halted cargo bookings to several West Asian ports due to war disruptions. Affected ports include UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, most of Oman, and two in Saudi.
Maersk cited regional conflict and personnel safety as it suspended cargo bookings across West Asia, signalling growing disruption to global trade routes. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Maersk, the world’s second-largest container shipping company that handles a significant share of global trade, said it has suspended cargo bookings to and from several ports in the West Asia region as the ongoing war begins to disrupt global shipping routes.
The company on Wednesday said it will no longer accept cargo bookings involving ports in the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, most of Oman and two ports in Saudi Arabia, according to a report by Barron’s.
However, the suspension will not apply to shipments of critical food supplies, medicines and other essential goods, which will continue to move through the region.
Maersk said the decision was part of operational measures aimed at protecting personnel and safeguarding cargo amid the escalating conflict.
“We are taking operational measures to ensure the safety of our personnel, safeguard your cargo and maintain service stability across affected trades in the Middle East,” the company said in a statement accessed by Barron’s.
Maersk had earlier announced that it would reroute vessels bound for the Suez Canal around the southern tip of Africa and suspend all vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate in the region.
The changes mean ships travelling between Asia and Europe may now take longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and cost to global shipping, the news agency said in its report.
Financial markets also reacted to the development. Shares of Maersk traded in Denmark fell nearly 2% on Wednesday following the announcement.
The disruption comes as insurance providers pause coverage for vessels operating in parts of the Gulf amid the intensifying conflict.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, as concerns mount over energy supply disruptions.
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