By IANS,
Mumbai : Indian equity markets opened significantly lower Friday following weak global cues and went further in the red during early trade. Oil and gas, PSU, realty, power and metal stocks were under selling pressure.
The 30-share benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, opened with a loss 330.09 points at 14,569.01. Twenty minutes into trading, it was at 14,551.64, 347.46 points or 2.33 percent below its closing figure Thursday.
At the same time the S&P CNX Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange was trading at 4,356.70 with a loss of 91.05 points or 2.05 percent from its previous close.
The market breadth was negative. On BSE, 435 shares advanced, 1,108 declined and 49 remained unchanged.
Sterlite Industries, Jaiprakash Associate, Infosys Technologies were among the major losers in initial trade.
Other Asian markets were also trading lower.