New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- The Nifty 50 enters October at a crucial juncture after a sharp sell-off in September, with investors assessing whether the correction could pave the way for a rebound.

The benchmark Nifty shed over 5% in September on the back of rising crude oil prices and higher US bond yields. Furthermore, escalating geopoliticaltensions between US and Iran, FII outflows and rupee depreciation also added to the weakness.

Historical data offers some comfort to the bulls: the benchmark index has ended October in negative territory in only three of the last 10 years. However, the market's near-term direction is likely to depend on foreign fund flows, US bond yields, crude oil prices, global risk sentiment and upcoming corporate ea...