Why the Strait of Hormuz matters to India amid Israel-Iran tensions.

As Israel and Iran continue to launch missile and drone attacks on each other, there is growing concern that Iran could restrict or block access to the Strait of Hormuz—something it has threatened in the past. Even the fear of this happening can send shockwaves through oil markets and disrupt global trade.

Military tension also puts commercial ships at risk. Insurance premiums go up, companies reroute vessels, and shipping delays become more likely.

“The extent to which global powers can dissuade Iran from blocking this vital passage will determine the scale of impact on oil markets going forward. Even without further escalation, the geopolitical risk premium on oil is likely to persist,” said Ankit Patel, Partner at Arunasset Investment Services.

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2025 Capital Market Trends: Where Should Conservative Investors Put Their Money?

In an exclusive interaction with Finance Outlook India, Ankit Patel, an investment advisor and financial planning professional with over a decade of industry experience, walks us through the essential capital market trends shaping 2025. He shares insights on how conservative investors can navigate current opportunities while maintaining portfolio resilience through strategic diversification and defensive sector allocation. As co-founder and partner at Arunasset Investment Services, Patel brings valuable insights from helping hundreds of clients across various age brackets, income groups, and cultural backgrounds, sharing how conservative investors can navigate current opportunities while maintaining portfolio resilience through strategic diversification and defensive sector allocation.

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Markets are scared by Israel-Iran conflict, Sensex-Nifty fell, have you ever thought how much impact it will have on India?

The conflict in the Middle East has jolted global financial markets. Ankit Patel of Arunaset Investment Services says that the growing tension in the Strait of Hormuz in particular has posed a serious threat to global energy supply. This strait is the route through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Due to the growing crisis in this region, crude oil prices jumped by 12%, which is increasing the risk of inflation and current account deficit (CAD) for import-dependent countries like India.

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Why you should go for Specialised Investment Funds.

Specialised Investment Funds is an investment product that aims to bridge the gap between mutual funds and portfolio management services (PMS).

What truly sets SIFs apart is their ability to deploy concentrated portfolios, thematic strategies, and, critically, the use of derivatives, which are largely restricted in mutual funds, said Arun Patel, founder and partner at Arunasset Investment Services.

SEBI had released a study last year, which noted that 93 per cent of retail traders lost money in futures and options segment. “By enabling professional fund managers to handle derivative strategies on behalf of investors, SIFs aim to offer a safer, more structured alternative to the high-risk, self-directed trading that typically leads to retail investor losses,” said Patel.

Many asset managers have taken the plunge. Edelweiss Mutual Fund was among the first AMCs to enter this space with its Altiva SIF. “We believe SIFs represent the next evolution in investment solutions—a powerful bridge between traditional mutual funds and PMS/AIFs (alternative investment funds), offering the agility and innovation needed to serve tomorrow’s investors,” said Radhika Gupta, MD and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund.

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ONGC, OIL India shares gain as crude prices jump further amid Israel-Iran conflict

Mumbai: Shares of public sector undertakings (PSUs) ONGC and Oil India surged on Friday, June 13, 2025 even as the stock market tumbled. The surge in prices of these stocks comes amid a sharp spike in Brent crude oil prices after Israel attacked Iran’s capital.

The shares of Oil India Ltd opened gap up with a gain of 2.8 per cent at Rs 481.15 on the BSE against the previous close of Rs 468.05. It gained further and touched the high of Rs 485.80, a gain of 3.79 per cent from the last close. The surge in price comes as the stock witnessed a spurt in volume by over 2.75 times today. At the time of writing the story, around 7.55 lakh shares changed hands. This is higher than the two-week average volume of 2.74 lakh.

Similarly, the shares of ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd) also opened gap up with a gain of 2.72 per cent at Rs 254.55 against the previous close of Rs 247.80. The counter hit the intraday high of Rs 255.40.

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