NEW DELHI: Foreign investors have withdrawn Rs 44,166 crore from Indian equities so far in Oct, bringing the total outflows this year to more than Rs 3 lakh crore as elevated crude oil prices, a firmer US dollar and higher US bond yields weigh on investor sentiment. Also, the AI-led rally in North Asian markets attracts higher foreign capital.The latest outflows follow a net withdrawal of Rs 35,861 crore in Sept. Before this, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) had invested Rs 20,200 crore in Indian equities in July and Rs 29,631 crore in Aug, data from the NSDL showed. With the latest selling, FPI withdrawals from Indian equities in 2026 have reached Rs 3 lakh crore, significantly higher than the Rs 1.7 lakh crore recorded during the entire 2025, the data noted. VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments, said massive FPI selling was the primary reason for the Indian market’s underperformance this year, with the Nifty delivering negative returns of 13.9% year-to-date in 2026.Meanwhile, major quarterly earnings from companies like Wipro and HCL Tech, along with inflation figures, global trends, and crude oil price movements, will drive stock market movement this week, analysts said. Market investors will also watch foreign investor trading activity, rupee movement, US Treasury yields, and geopolitical developments. agencies