By IANS,
Mumbai: A benchmark index of Indian equities closed 154 points lower amid sombre global cues Wednesday. Banking and realty scrips led the losers’ pack.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,791.22 points, closed at 19,647.77 – down 151.42 points or 0.76 percent from its previous close of 19,799.19.
It had slipped over 228 points during the day to the intra-day low of 19,571.43 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty shut shop at 5,892.3 points – down 0.87 percent.
Broader markets were in the red too, with the BSE midcap index ending 1.41 percent down and the BSE smallcap index closing 1.54 percent lower.
IT and telecom scrips rallied, while banking, realty and consumer durable scrips came under selling pressure.
Among the gainers on the Sensex were TCS, up 1.93 percent at Rs.1,101.25; Infosys, up 1.67 percent at Rs.3,203.65; Tata Motors, up 1.26 percent at Rs.1,320.20 and Bharti Airtel, up 1.24 percent at Rs.339.30.
The losers were Hero Honda, down 5.4 percent at Rs.1,621.30; DLF, down 5.15 percent at Rs.278; ICICI Bank, down 3.65 percent at Rs.1,078.05 and SBI, down 3.46 percent at Rs.2,696.05.
The market breadth was negative, with 946 stocks advancing, compared to 1,922 scrips on the decline, while 140 stocks remained unchanged.
According to data available with SEBI, foreign institutional investors bought scrips worth $20.96 million Wednesday.
Other Asian markets closed lower as adverse reports from the Japanese central bank cast doubts over the strength of the economic recovery.
The Japanese Nikkei closed flat at 10,309.78 points.
The Shanghai Composite Index ended 0.54 percent lower at 2,911.41, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 1.95 percent lower at 22,975.35 points.
European markets were choppy with traders exiting stocks after news that Moody’s Investors Service was reviewing the Spanish government’s bonds for a possible downgrade, triggering worries over the state of Euro zone economies.
Around mid-day, Britain’s FTSE 100 was ruling 0.45 percent down at 5,864.41 points, while the German DAX was trading 0.78 percent lower at 6,972.35 points.
The French CAC 40 was ruling 0.89 percent down at 3,867.98 points.