INDIA STOCKS — Indian shares post longest weekly losing streak in six years on oil, rate worries

(Updates for markets close) By Bharath Rajeswaran Sept 18 (Reuters) — Indian shares posted a sixth straight weekly decline on Friday, their longest losing streak since 2020, as crude prices above $100 per barrel driven by Mideast tensions and tighter global monetary policy weighed. On the day, the Nifty 50 rose 0.33% to 23,346.40, while the Sensex shed 0.03% to 74,294.96. A drop in oil prices, bargain buying after recent losses outweighed declines in IT and Tata Group stocks as well as strong demand for domestic IPOs drained liquidity from the secondary market on Friday. The $2.3 billion NSE IPO was fully subscribed on its second day of bidding. "While markets gained during the session, the move appears to be driven largely by bargain buying after the recent oversold conditions, rather than signalling a meaningful reversal in sentiment," said Saurabh Jain, deputy vice President of equities at SMC Global. The Nifty and Sensex declined 0.22% and 0.65%, respectively, this week. "Uncertainty over any near-term resolution to Middle East tensions continues to pressure domestic equities, particularly exposed to crude prices," Jain said. "Elevated global bond yields and persistently high U