By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index of Indian equities markets plunged 238 points Wednesday on heavy selling pressure in banking, realty, metal and auto stocks as investors booked profits in the absence of any positive cues.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,874.30 points, ended at 19,696.48 points – down 238.16 points or 1.19 percent from its previous close at 19,934.64 points.
The Sensex touched a high of 19,875.51 points and low of 19,611.35 points in the intra-day trade.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed 72.85 points down at 5,903 after slipping below the psychologically important 5,900-point mark in the intra-day trade.
Broader markets also ended deep in the red, with the BSE midcap index closing 2.21 percent down at 7,600.43 and the BSE smallcap index ending 3.22 percent lower at 9,295 points.
HDFC Bank plunged over three percent to Rs.2,280. The country’s largest lender State Bank of India slumped 2.01 percent to Rs.2,807.80.
Among the other major losers at the Sensex were Reliance Communication, down 3.21 percent at Rs.129.85; Jaiprakash Asso, down 3.12 percent at Rs.104; DLF down 2.81 percent at Rs.290.65; Tata Steel 2.49 percent down at Rs.623.65; and HDFC 2.42 percent down at Rs.685.05.
Of the 30 scrips that constitute Sensex, only two closed in the green. ONGC up 0.50 percent at Rs.1,344.45 and Tata Motors up 0.25 percent at Rs.1,335.20 were the only gainers at the Sensex.
Other Asian markets ended mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 1.43 percent higher at 23,092.50 and the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.95 percent to 2,848.55 points.
However, the Japanese Nikkei advanced 0.90 percent to 10,232.30 points.