By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index of Indian equities Friday slipped 189 points lower in afternoon trade with bluechip IT companies Infosys and TCS coming under selling pressure.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,518.5 points, was ruling at 20,299.12 points – down 189.74 points or 0.93 percent from its previous close at 20,497.64 points.
It had moved up 81 points to 20,578.45 points soon after the opening bell.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was trading at 6,112.7 points, down 1.05 percent.
Broader markets were in the green with the BSE midcap index ruling 0.28 percent lower and the BSE smallcap index 0.27 percent up.
IT, telecom, banking and auto stocks led the losers pack, while realty scrips saw some gains.
The market breadth was negative with 1,322 stocks advancing, 1,593 declining and 96 remaining unchanged.
Among major gainers were NTPC, Hindustan Unilever and Tata Power, while TCS, Infosys, Wipro and ACC were among the top losers at this time.
Other Asian markets closed in the red ahead of a monetary easing decision by the US Federal Reserve. Profit taking after two days of rallying also took its toll.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended 0.45 percent lower at 23,744.92 points, while the Japanese Nikkei closed 0.87 percent down at 9,500.25 points.
The Shanghai Composite index, however, rose 3.18 percent at 2,971.16 points.