Mumbai, February 19: The markets continued the down slide for the second straight session today with the BSE benchmark Sensex shedding 136 points on heavy selloff by funds following the US Federal Reserve’s surprise decision to hike interest rate on emergency loans to banks.
Tracking Asian markets, which plunged on the Fed move, the Sensex tumbled 173 points in opening trade and extended the losses further to touch a low of 16,074.58, before ending the day 136.21 points down, or 0.83 per cent at 16,191.63.
The selloff was so wide-spread that all the BSE sectoral indices, barring healtchare, ended in the deep red with losses up to 3.37 per cent. The interest-sensitive reality index bore the brunt with a 3.37-per cent battering.
Similarly, the wide-based NSE index Nifty 50 opened 68.65 points down and closed with 42.85 points loss at 4,844.90 after touching a low of 4,805.55 intra-day.
–PTI