By IANS,
Mumbai: A benchmark index of Indian equities Tuesday fell 82 points, led by selling pressure in metal, retail and banking scrips.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) closed 81.73 points or 0.4 percent down at 20,221.39 points. After opening at 20,325.44 points, the index touched intraday high of 20,344.68 points and low of 20,189.30 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed 0.39 percent or 23.80 points down at 6,082 points.
Tata Steel plunged 2.62 percent to Rs.605.45. Bharti Airtel 2.42 percent down at Rs.329.05, Hindustan Unilever 2.21 percent down at Rs.298.90, SBI 1.84 percent down at 3,180.45, and Reliance Comm 1.73 percent down at Rs.176.05 were the major losers.
Top gainers included Maruti Suzuki, 3.59 percent up at Rs.1,562.85; ITC up 1.30 percent at Rs.171.55; Jaiprakash Asso 1.04 percent higher at Rs.126.70; and Reliance Infra 0.86 percent up at Rs.1,069.15.
Other Asian markets traded cautiously ahead of announcements of key quarterly corporate results. Investors chose to get out of positions at higher levels, leading to downward pressure.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended flat at 23,610.95 points, while the Japanese Nikkei closed 0.25 percent down at 9,377.38 points.
The Shanghai Composite index closed at 3,021.27 points, up 0.99 percent.