May 20 (Reuters) - Indian shares slipped and the rupee touched a record low for a seventh consecutive session as higher global yields, fuelled by Iran war uncertainty, triggered outflows from emerging markets.
The benchmark Nifty 50 was down 0.61% at 23,473.2, as of 9:26 a.m. IST, and the BSE Sensex lost 0.63% to 74,726.44.
The rupee fell to 96.8650 per dollar, breaching an all-time low of 96.6150 hit in the previous session. The currency is down 6% since the Iran war began on February 28.
Asian stocks fell for a fourth consecutive session, while investors awaited earnings from AI chipmaker Nvidia to see whether the world's most valuable company might help markets navigate higher borrowing costs.
Bond yields in the U.S. and Japan hit multi-decade highs due to persistent inflation fears tied to elevated oil prices and the Iran conflict.
"This is a red flag to equity markets. With the risk-free return at such high levels, the appetite for risky equity should decline," said V.K. Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments.
Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz, according to shipping data, brightening hopes that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be resolved after positive comments from the U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The Iran war has pushed energy prices higher and rattled investors globally. Oil-importing countries such as India have witnessed aggressive foreign selling in equities due to concerns over the impact of high oil prices on the economy and inflation.
Foreign investors sold Indian shares worth 24.58 billion rupees ($253.86 million) on Tuesday, per provisional data. They have offloaded $23 billion worth of shares so far this year, already surpassing last year's record annual outflow.
Thirteen of the 16 major sectors in India traded lower on Wednesday. The broader small-caps and mid-caps fell 0.7% and 0.4%, respectively.
Bucking the trend, Hindalco jumped 3.8% after its U.S.-based subsidiary Novelis reported higher operating profit and said its Oswego plant could restart in the coming weeks.
($1 = 96.8250 Indian rupees)
Reporting by Vivek Kumar M; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar and Sherry Jacob-Phillips
Source: Reuters