A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Wednesday was trading 66 points down in afternoon trade led by selling pressure in metal, consumer durable and power stocks.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,899.01 points, was ruling at 16,851.77 points, 0.39 percent or 66.31 points down from its previous day’s close at 16,918.08 points.
The BSE metal index was down 186.24 points, followed by consumer durables index, up 84.10 points, and power index, up 19.79 points.
The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was ruling 0.44 percent down at 5,105.55 points.
The main losers were Jindal Steel, down 2.77 percent at Rs.403.20; Wipro, down 2.21 percent at Rs.338.35; Hindustan Unilever, down 2.11 percent at Rs.466; Tata Steel, down 1.75 percent at Rs.390.05; and Bharti Airtel, down 1.75 percent at Rs.302.75.
Major Sensex gainers were HDFC Bank, up 0.98 percent at Rs.579.80; ITC, up 0.48 percent at Rs.251.70; HDFC, up 0.44 percent at Rs.677.40; ICICI Bank, up 0.40 percent at Rs.919.75; and Sun Pharma, up 0.21 percent at Rs.609.50.
Other Asian markets were also trading lower. Japan’s Nikkei was down 1.44 percent while Shanghai’s composite index fell 0.49 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 0.16 percent.
—-IANS