New Delhi, May 18 -- Investor sentiment in Indian equities continues to be shaped by a combination of factors, including the current geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, persistent foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, and recent tax changes, experts say.

As of today, equity markets remain under immense pressure, even as domestic institutional investors have provided partial cushioning. Since the start of this year, the benchmark Nifty 50 index has delivered a return of -9.55%, whereas the BSE Sensex has lost about 11.59% of its value.

Experts note that since July 2024, taxation on equities in the country has witnessed an incremental boost. For example, the Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) on equities was hiked from 10% to 12...