Indian shares on track for muted open as oil climbs on rising Mideast risks

Indian shares are expected to open little changed on Tuesday following a drop to six-week lows the previous day, as global market sentiment remains muted due to escalating crude prices and concerns over a potential Middle East conflict. Iran has warned that any future attacks on Tehran will be met with retaliation against US assets, suggesting that energy infrastructure in the Gulf, including US oil and gas interests, could be at risk.

At 7:40 a.m. IST, Nifty futures were trading at 23,800 points, signaling a subdued opening for the Nifty 50 index, which closed at 23,779.15 on Monday. Brent crude futures were hovering around $97 per barrel. India is especially susceptible to higher fuel prices since it imports approximately 85% of its crude needs. The 50-stock index and Sensex both closed at their lowest levels in six weeks on Monday, driven down by IT stocks amid growing Middle East tensions and expectations of a potential US interest rate increase, which dampened risk appetite.

Hariselvan Radhakrishnan, founder and CEO of HST Wealth, a research analysis firm, noted that the market's focus will shift to the US inflation report due on Friday evening, which will likely influence expectations leading up to the Federal Reserve's September 16 decision. US rate hikes are perceived negatively for emerging market equities, as they could reduce foreign inflows as the dollar and Treasuries become more appealing in a tighter monetary environment.

On Monday, foreign investors net bought Indian shares worth 2.8 billion rupees ($29.6 million), according to provisional data, following three days of selling.