Stock Market Crash Today: Sensex Plunges 995 Points, Nifty Sheds 1% Ahead of Fed Decision, and Here Is What Spooked D-Street

The Sensex fell as much as 995 points or 1.35% to 72,603 on Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 from 73,598.67, and the Nifty 50 fell as much as 252 points or 1.11% to 22,497 from 22,749.75, as per Business Standard at 10:56 AM IST. At 10:45 AM the Sensex was at 72,810 and the Nifty at 22,575, with only Nifty Auto and Nifty Pharma in the green and the Nifty IT index down 3.5%.

Updated: 28 Oct 2026 • 11:50 am

Posted by:

Stock Market Crash Today: Sensex Plunges 995 Points, Nifty Sheds 1% Ahead of Fed Decision, and Here Is What Spooked D-Street

Quick Answer

The stock market crash today, with the Sensex down as much as 995 points and the Nifty down 1.11%, was driven by crude oil above USD 115 after an attack on a Saudi refinery, caution before the US Fed decision, a 3.5% fall in the Nifty IT index and tenth straight week of FII selling. Only Nifty Auto and Nifty Pharma were positive, and Infosys fell 4.9% and TCS 3.35% by 11:26 AM. The fall of about 1.1% on the Nifty is sharp for one morning but is not a market collapse, and the next triggers are the Fed decision and the Q2 results season. This is educational and not a recommendation.

The stock market crash today has rattled D-Street on the same morning that Jio Platforms listed at a 21% premium, so the broader market tone and the stock-specific news are pulling in different directions. This article explains what is behind the stock market crash today, which sectors and stocks are hit, how foreign and domestic investors are behaving and what to watch next.

The index levels are from a Business Standard report published at 10:56 AM, and I could not retrieve the live index level after that, so the market may have recovered or fallen further. The market capitalisation loss and the India VIX were not in the sources. It is educational and not advice.

Click Here – Get Free Investment Predictions

Table of Contents

Stock Market Crash Today: The Numbers

Stock market crash today: index	Previous close (27 Oct)	Morning low	Fall (Business Standard)	At 10:45 AM
Sensex	73,598.67	72,603	995 points, 1.35%	72,810, down 787 points (1.07%)
Nifty 50	22,749.75	22,497	252 points, 1.11%	22,575, down 199 points (0.81%)

In the stock market crash today, both indices were trading near their lows at 10:45 AM, and the fall was concentrated in large caps and in IT, oil and gas and FMCG stocks. The 995-point fall in Sensex today is a sharp one-day move, but at about 1.1% on the Nifty it is far smaller than the falls seen in true market crashes (my observation), so the phrase stock market crash today describes the sentiment more than the size.

Track the Sensex, Nifty and your watchlist on Univest

What Spooked D-Street: The Reasons Behind the Stock Market Crash Today

Stock market crash today: reason	Detail	Source
Crude oil	Brent crude up 1.45% to USD 115.5 and WTI up 1.49% to USD 101.4 after an attack on a Saudi refinery; West Asia supply worries	Business Standard
US-Iran tensions	Reports of a possible renewed US and Israeli military operation against Iran after the US midterm elections	Business Standard; VK Vijayakumar of Geojit said the market has turned decisively weak
IT stocks	Nifty IT down 3.5% after Microsoft’s steep workforce reduction and AI concerns; Globe Capital’s Gaurav Sharma called it a knee-jerk reaction	Business Standard
Fed decision	Bajaj Broking said equities are likely to stay cautious before the US Fed decision; the Bank of Japan decision and US GDP data follow	Business Standard
FII selling	Net sellers for a tenth straight week; October net selling about Rs 51,466 crore (my conversion)	Business Standard
US bond yields	US 10-year yield near 5.42%	Business Standard

Enrich Money’s Ponmudi R said rising crude keeps concerns over cost pressures and the economic outlook in focus. The same reports note that domestic institutions bought a net Rs 59,110 crore in October, which has partly offset foreign selling. Together these factors explain the stock market crash today better than any single trigger.

Sectors and Stocks Hit in the Stock Market Crash Today

Stock market crash today: stock	NSE price (11:26 AM)	Change
Infosys	Rs 1,106.05	Down 4.9%
TCS	Rs 2,413.30	Down 3.35%
SAIL	Rs 164.68	Down 3.81%
Bharti Airtel	Rs 1,940.80	Down 1.92%
Hindustan Unilever	Rs 1,783.80	Down 1.88%
Reliance Industries	Rs 1,176.80	Down 1.62%
ICICI Bank	Rs 1,375.60	Down 0.81%
HDFC Bank	Rs 681.55	Up 0.2%
State Bank of India	Rs 956.00	Up 1.15%
Bajaj Auto	Rs 10,555	Up 1.59%
Larsen & Toubro	Rs 3,809.30	Up 3.93%

The stock market crash today is not uniform. Banks held up, with HDFC Bank and SBI higher, and L&T rose nearly 4% on strong Q2 numbers. Mangalore Refinery fell 8.04% to Rs 174.20 and Indian Oil fell 1.68%, which shows that refiners were hit on the crude spike. Infosys was down 4.9% and four analysts downgraded it in a day on a weaker annual sales outlook.

Download the Univest iOS App or Univest Android App to set price alerts and watch sector moves on a volatile day.

What Experts Say About the Stock Market Crash Today

Stock market crash today: expert	View	Note
VK Vijayakumar, Geojit	Revival needs crude prices to fall and FPIs to turn buyers; sees value-buying opportunities; says LTCG changes appear inevitable now	FPI outflows were USD 19 billion in 2025 and USD 31 billion so far this year
Gaurav Sharma, Globe Capital	IT fall is a knee-jerk reaction; Indian IT firms have healthy AI-related orders	Disagrees with the AI worry
Ponmudi R, Enrich Money	Rising crude keeps cost pressure and the economic outlook in focus	Crude is the swing factor
Bajaj Broking	Equities likely to stay cautious ahead of the Fed decision	No rate expectation given

The views on the stock market crash today agree on the direction of the risk, which is crude oil and foreign flows, but differ on IT. Value-buying comments are opinions, and a stock that looks lower-priced after a fall can fall further.

What Investors Can Do After the Stock Market Crash Today

A one-day fall like the stock market crash today is not a reason to change a long-term plan by itself. Review whether any position is sized too large for your risk profile, check that margin-funded positions have room, and avoid adding to losing trades only because the price is lower. Investors who run systematic plans may keep them going, and those who want to add can consider doing it in stages instead of all at once. The Fed decision on Wednesday US time, the results from HUL, Adani Enterprises and TVS Motor today and the Reliance and Jio results on 30 Oct are the next events.

Risks After the Stock Market Crash Today

Crude oil. Brent near USD 116 could rise further if supply is disrupted.
Fed surprise. A hawkish tone could push the dollar and US yields higher and hurt Indian equities.
Foreign selling. After the stock market crash today, ten weeks of net selling shows that confidence is weak.
Geopolitics. Reports of possible action against Iran can cause gaps.
Stale data. The index levels for the stock market crash today are as of 10:56 AM and may have changed.

Conclusion: The Stock Market Crash Today Is Sharp but Not a Collapse

The stock market crash today took the Sensex down as much as 995 points and the Nifty 1.11% on crude above USD 115, FII selling, an IT sell-off and the Fed decision ahead. Banks and L&T held up, and the damage is concentrated in a few sectors. Check live levels, avoid decisions made in panic and act within your own risk profile.

Disclaimer: Data and figures in this article are sourced from publicly available information. These may or may not be accurate. Please verify all data with the official NSE (nseindia.com) and BSE (bseindia.com) websites before making any investment decision. Investments in securities are subject to market risk. This content is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice by Univest (SEBI RA INH000013776).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the stock market crashing today?

Ans. The Sensex today fell as much as 995 points and the Nifty 1.11% on 28 Oct 2026 because crude oil rose above USD 115 after an attack on a Saudi refinery, investors were cautious before the US Fed decision, the Nifty IT index fell 3.5% and FIIs sold for a tenth straight week.

How much did the Sensex and Nifty fall today?

Ans. At the low, the Sensex today was at 72,603, down 995 points or 1.35% from 73,598.67, and the Nifty was at 22,497, down 252 points or 1.11% from 22,749.75, per Business Standard at 10:56 AM. These levels may have changed, so the stock market crash today may look different by the close.

Which sectors are falling the most?

Ans. Only Nifty Auto and Nifty Pharma were positive in the morning, while other sectors fell by up to 3.5%, led by Nifty IT, Nifty Oil and Gas and Nifty FMCG. Infosys fell 4.9% and TCS 3.35% by 11:26 AM, which shows how IT led the stock market crash today.

What role does the Fed decision play?

Ans. The US Fed decision is due on Wednesday US time, which is Thursday for India. A pause is widely expected, and investors fear a hawkish tone because higher US yields can pull money away from Indian equities. The Fed is the main event after the stock market crash today.

What are FIIs doing?

Ans. FIIs have been net sellers for a tenth straight week, with net selling of about Rs 51,466 crore in October so far (my conversion), while DIIs bought a net Rs 59,110 crore. Foreign outflows were USD 31 billion so far this year. FII selling is a key reason for the stock market crash today.

Is this a real market crash?

Ans. A fall of about 1.1% on the Nifty is a sharp one-day move but is small next to true crashes, and the damage is concentrated in a few sectors while banks and L&T held up. The close may differ from the morning levels.

What should investors do after the stock market crash today?

Ans. Avoid panic decisions, check position sizes and margin buffers, and stick to your plan and risk profile. Staged investing may help, but this is educational and not advice.

Is this article investment advice?

Ans. No. It is educational and not a recommendation to buy or sell. Please check the figures against company filings and your own risk profile before you act on anything you read here.