Sensex falls second straight day, closes 110 points lower (Roundup)
By IANSWednesday, October 20, 2010
MUMBAI - A benchmark index of Indian equities Wednesday fell the second consecutive day, closing with a loss of 110 points on intense profit booking in late trade.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,924.02 points, closed at 19,872.15 points, 110.98 points or 0.56 percent down from its previous close at 19,983.13 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended 0.75 percent lower at 5,982.1 points.
Broader markets also saw losses with the BSE midcap index ending flat and the BSE smallcap index 0.54 percent lower.
Capital goods, healthcare and energy scrips ended with modest gains, while metals, realty and consumer durables were among the major losers.
The market breadth was negative with 1,084 stocks advancing, 1,837 declining and 150 remaining unchanged.
According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors bought scrips worth $76.97 million Wednesday. For the month, FII fund inflows have touched almost $5.29 billion.
Top Sensex gainers were Tata Power, up 1.16 percent at Rs.1,390.45; NTPC, up 0.91 percent at Rs.205.90; L&T, up 0.54 percent at Rs.2,004.90 and RIL, up 0.46 percent at Rs.1,048.70.
Top losers included Sterlite Industries, down 3.54 percent at Rs.170.25; HDFC, down 2.78 percent at Rs.700.50; Tata Steel, down 2.76 percent at Rs.615.55, and Hindalco Industries, down 1.72 percent at Rs.202.90.
Other Asian markets fell after China decided to hike benchmark interest rates by a quarter-percentage point.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.87 percent lower at 23,556.5 points, while the Japanese Nikkei closed 1.65 percent down at 9,381.6 points.
The Shanghai Composite index ended flat.
European stock markets were ruling with modest gains as investors absorbed the rate hike by China’s central bank.
Around mid-day, Britain’s FTSE 100 was trading 0.27 percent higher at 5,719.16 points.
The German DAX was ruling 0.26 percent up at 6,507.59 points, while the French CAC 40 was 0.57 percent higher at 3,829.03 points.
