India's blue-chips log worst losing streak in nearly eight months

By Bharath Rajeswaran

BENGALURU (Reuters) -Indian shares posted their longest daily losing run in nearly eight months on Wednesday as worries over the intensifying conflict in the Middle East and fluctuations in U.S. bond yields hurt investor sentiment.

The NSE Nifty 50 index closed 0.83% lower at 19,122.15, while the S&P BSE Sensex fell 0.81% to 64,049.06. The blue-chips closed at their lowest since June 28.

Both the blue-chips have fallen for five straight sessions, losing more than 3% each over the period, in their longest losing streak since an eight-session slide that ended on Feb. 28.

Eleven of the 13 major sectoral indexes logged losses. High-weightage financials and information technology (IT) dropped 0.93% and 1.03%, respectively. Only 10 of the Nifty 50 stocks settled higher.

India's Nifty has fallen 2.70% since the onset of the Israel-Hamas military conflict on Oct. 7.

"Further correction in Indian shares could be expected," said Santosh Meena, head of research at Swastika Investmart.

"The slide, which is triggered by fluctuations in U.S. bond yields and the Mideast crisis, has also caused a significant retreat in mid- and small-caps after a period of exuberance," Meena added.

Analysts at HSBC and InCred Equities also expect the consolidation in domestic equities to continue.

Asian markets were muted, as the report of a likely default by China's biggest private property developer Country Garden hurt sentiment. MKTS/GLOB]

Metals gained 0.15%, after top consumer China approved a 1 trillion yuan ($136.68 billion) sovereign bond issue to improve infrastructure.

Tata Steel and Hindalco Industries were among the top Nifty 50 gainers, adding 1.13% and 0.83%, respectively.

NTPC slid nearly 2% after Bernstein flagged risks to its growth prospects due to the separate listing of its renewables business.

Network 18 Media & Investments and TV18 Broadcast fell 2.14% and 4.80%, respectively, after reporting quarterly losses. The media index lost 1.66%.

($1 = 7.3162 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; editing by Eileen Soreng, Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Sonia Cheema)