By IANS,
Mumbai : Selling pressure intensified at Indian equities markets Friday afternoon, pushing a key index 231 points below its previous close.
At 1.30 p.m., the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,256.53 points, was at 16,096.57 points, down 231.27 points or 1.41 percent from its previous close.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was at 4,812 points, against the previous close at 4,887.75 points, a loss of 1.55 percent or 75.75 points.
Broader markets were also in the red with the BSE midcap index down 1.76 percent and the BSE small cap index trading 1.77 percent lower.
The market breadth was negative, with 652 stocks advancing, 2,061 on the decline and 66 remaining unchanged.
Other Asian markets were in the red too.
The benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, slipped 2.05 percent to close at 10,123.58 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was ruling 2.58 percent in the red at 19,894.26 points.
The South Korean Kospi too closed lower, dipping 1.68 percent to 1,593.9 points.
Chinese exchanges will reopen Monday after the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.