By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index of Indian equities Friday closed below the psychologically important 17,000-point mark Friday. It ended 198 points lower, giving up gains earned on the back of better than expected results from heavyweight Reliance Industries.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,978.36 points, closed at 16,852.59 points (provisional), down 198.55 points or 1.16 percent from its previous close at 17,051.14 points.
It had slipped over 443 points about an hour after the opening bell.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 5,029.65 points against the previous close at 5,094.15 points, a loss of 1.27 percent.
Broader markets were also hit by selling pressure, with the BSE midcap index ending 1.09 percent down and the BSE small cap index 1.18 percent lower.