Equity investors have faced a sober start to the festive season, losing nearly Rs 15 lakh crore in the past five sessions amidst a sell-off triggered by the Israel-Hamas conflict, surging bond yields, and mixed quarterly earnings. The BSE Sensex dropped 3.50%, and the Nifty50 fell 3.39% in the last five sessions. Market cap of BSE-listed firms decreased from Rs 323.82 lakh crore to Rs 309.08 lakh crore in this period. Global uncertainties from the West Asian conflict and concerns about rising US bond yields contribute to market pressures, prompting investors to cut exposure to the expensive Indian market. Tech Mahindra also reported a 61.6% YoY fall in Q2 net profit.