Puneet Wadhwa

Going ahead, analysts expect natural gas prices to stay elevated in the backdrop of developments in West Asia. In March alone, prices of natural gas have climbed 16 per cent to $3.277/MMBtu

Tensions in West Asia, if sustained, could test the goldilocks mix of robust growth and stable inflation, Nomura said in a recent note.

Strategy for 2026, he said, is shifting toward sectors with a probable growth visibility such as Banking, Consumer, Resources and Manufacturing.

Analysts believe Texas refinery deal could be a positive for Reliance given the current geopolitical environment; however, await for more clarity as the company is yet to issue an official statement.

Holdings in SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank accounted for more than one-fifth of the losses for Life Insurance Corporation of India; while L&T alone created a 11 per cent dent, shows ACE Equity data.

Leading market experts decode Monday's stock market crash, crude oil's sharp spike and the investment strategy that one can adopt in this backdrop.

UBS' Global Oil team has also raised their near-term oil price forecasts, Q1-26E to $71/bbl (around $80/bbl for March), and the average for 2026 to $72/bbl

Selective IT services companies with strong digital portfolios, diversified clients, and disciplined cost structures could indeed present a contrarian opportunity, he said.

In India, equities are often a long-term wealth creation product and flows typically normalise once volatility stabilises, Upadhyaya said.

Oil prices, Rogers said, could definitely cross $100 a barrel again, especially if the geopolitical developments continue.

Any impact on the oil infrastructure in case of a prolonged war could see the Nifty drop to 23,500 - 23,700 levels," says U R Bhat, co-founder & director of Alphaniti Fintech.

UBS sees further upside for broad commodities in 2026, driven by primarily by metals, their analysts said in a recent note.

A total of 333 stocks from the Nifty 500 index were seen trading below their respective 200-day moving averages in Monday's trade amid the US-Israel-Iran war triggered market fall.

On the upside, the 25,350-25,500 band now acts as a key resistance area for the Nifty, according to Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, a SEBI-registered online trading and wealth tech firm

During the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, Arab OPEC members, led by Saudi Arabia, implemented an oil embargo against the US and other nations that supported Israel that led to oil rising 300 per cent.

On the flip side, a deal between the US and Iran coupled with the excess global supply/capacity could see limit the upside after a volatile phase, analysts said.

AI capex boom may keep India markets under pressure as global funds shift to semiconductor-heavy markets like Taiwan and Korea, says Christopher Wood of Jefferies

The global research and broking house has cut their earnings estimates by 1-4 per cent across IT firms and expects 6 per cent earnings CAGR over FY26-28.

ICICI Securities' Pankaj Pandey says markets may need time to adjust to the new STT regime but sees strong FY27 earnings and midcap outperformance

The US Supreme Court's decision takes away a big cloud that's been hanging over global trade for a year now, analysts said.