Sensex slips 72 points as profit-booking weighs

Mumbai :The benchmark Sensex fell almost 72 points in early trade today as investors booked profits in recent gainers amid mixed Asian cues.

The 30-share barometer declined 71.69 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 24,722.27, with sectoral indices led by IT, technology and FMCG leading the fall.

The index had risen some 1,792 points in the previous six sessions.

Also, the NSE Nifty was trading lower by 19.80 points, or 0.26 per cent, at 7,512.

Equity brokers said that apart from profit-booking in recent gainers, a mixed trend at other Asian markets was mainly responsible for a break in the six-session long rising spree on the domestic bourses here.

Shares of Infosys, TCS, Hindustan Unilever, Bharti Airtel, Dr Reddy’s, BHEL, ITC, Sun Pharma, Wipro, HDFC Bank and RIL saw some profit-booking, which dragged down the indices.

Shanghai Composite was quoting 1.12 per cent lower while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.74 per cent in their early sessions. Japan’s Nikkei was up 0.98 per cent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.21 per cent higher in yesterday’s trade.

PTI