Friday the 13th Mayhem: Israel’s Bombshell Triggers Market Carnage

Overview of the Shock

On June 13, 2025, a pre-dawn Israeli missile strike on Iran’s nuclear and military sites triggered a sudden wave of global financial fear. India’s Sensex plunged roughly 1,300 points, oil spiked to $78/barrel, and gold topped ₹1 lakh per 10 g, creating an unmistakable “Friday the 13th” bombshell in markets

What Triggered the Tumult

The missile attack aimed at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility and missile factories, killing senior IRGC officials and prompting Iran to launch retaliatory drones—spurring fears of wider conflict and oil supply disruptions

Oil & Gold: The Safe‑Haven Surge

Worries over disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz triggered a Brent spike to $78.50, the biggest single-day jump since early 2022
Simultaneously, gold futures on MCX crossed ₹1,00,403/10 g on safe-haven buying

Sensex & Nifty: Market Carnage

Sensex fell over 1,300 intraday points, while Nifty dropped below 24,500; though it recovered slightly, ending down ~570 points on global risk-off sentiment Nifty closed at ~24,719, down ~0.7%, and Sensex ended around 81,118—a 0.7% decline

Sectoral & Global Ripples

• Energy & Oil Stocks: BPCL, HPCL, IOC down ~3–3.5% on margin concerns
• Airlines: Stocks like SpiceJet, InterGlobe fell ~4% amid rising fuel costs
• Bond Markets & Currencies: Treasury yields dropped; Swiss franc, Japanese yen surged, while Indian rupee slipped over ₹86/$

Globally, MSCI Asia ex‑Japan dropped ~1%; S&P & Nasdaq futures fell ~1.7–1.8%

Is Friday the 13th Truly ‘Unlucky’?

While today’s plunge was undeniably brutal, long-term data shows Friday the 13th hasn’t historically brought disproportionate losses. On 42 such trading days since 2000, Nifty has fallen only 46% of the time—averaging a gain of +0.35%

What Happens Next

• Geopolitical trajectory: Investors await Iran’s response—any escalation could keep oil elevated and markets jittery.
• Inflation & Policy Watch: High oil prices may challenge RBI’s inflation control efforts.
• Market strategy: Experts advise watching for policy rates, currency stabilization, and geopolitical de‑escalation as key recovery triggers.