FIIs sell over Rs 30K crore worth of Indian equities in May as outflows swell to Rs 2.22 lakh crore. What lies ahead?

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have offloaded domestic equities worth Rs 2.22 lakh crore in 2026, remaining net sellers for the third successive month-to-date. They have sold shares worth Rs 30,374 crore, so far this month.

On Friday, FIIs sold domestic shares to the tune of Rs 4,440.47 crore while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers at Rs 6,003.53 crore.

DIIs throwing around their weight on Friday, helped the benchmark indices end with gains though they were capped amid strong selling pressure in pharma & health stocks while financials helped bulls to ride the tide. While Nifty gained 64.60 points or 0.27% to close at 23,719.30, the BSE Sensex settled at 75,415.35, up 231.99 points or 0.31%.

Commenting on the current FII trends, Pabitro Mukherjee, Associate Vice President – Research at Bajaj Broking said the investor sentiment remains cautious due to persistent geo-political tensions, which continued to keep crude oil prices elevated.

“The Indian Rupee further weakened during the week, slipping to a fresh all-time low against the US Dollar. Meanwhile, a sharp rise in bond yields, driven by concerns over rising inflation and the possibility of prolonged higher interest rates, kept investors on edge. Overall, global uncertainty and macroeconomic headwinds led to cautious trading activity across the markets. Looking ahead, institutional flows are likely to remain sensitive to developments around US–Iran tensions, oil-price movement,” he said.

Outlook

Bajaj Broking has said institutional activity is expected to be largely driven by global developments, going forward. The progress or deterioration of the U.S.–Iran negotiations will remain a key factor to monitor, he said, outlining significant implications for geopolitical stability and the potential impact on crude oil price volatility.

FIIs in 2026

War-induced sell-off in March made it the worst month this year, witnessing an exodus worth Rs 1,17,775 crore. April was not kind too, with outflows of Rs 60,847 crore. Foreign investors turned net buyers in February, buying shares worth Rs 22,615 crore in the domestic markets so far. In January, they sold Rs 35,962 crore worth of shares.

In 2025, the FIIs buying trends remained patchy, but the overall trend was bearish. They took Rs 1,66,286 crore from Indian markets as trade deal delay and premium valuations weighed on the sentiments.

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