Sensex drops over 500 points, Nifty 50 comes back to 24,050- 5 key factors behind the stock market decline explained

Sensex dropped over 500 points and Nifty 50 slipped to 24,050 in morning trade on 14 July 2026, weighed down by multiple headwinds. Escalating US-Iran tensions and Middle East conflict pushed Brent crude up over 2 percent to near $85 per barrel, while India's June CPI inflation rose to 4.38 percent, exceeding the RBI's 4 percent midpoint target. The rupee weakened 42 paise to 96.10 against the dollar and the merchandise trade deficit widened to a five-month high of $30.43 billion.