Indices end in red despite FM's relief announcement; Titan falls over 1%

Equity indices declined in the fag-end of the session on Monday, even as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced relief measures for an economy, battered by a second wave of Covid-19, and which is bracing for a possible third wave.
 
The Sensex fell 189 points, led by losses in index heavyweights Reliance Industries, TCS, and HDFC amid a negative trend in global markets.
 
After touching a lifetime high of 53,126.73 in opening session, the BSE index ended 189.45 points or 0.36 per cent lower at 52,735.59. Similarly, the broader Nifty settled 45.65 points or 0.29 per cent down at 15,814.70. It touched a lifetime intraday peak of 15,915.65.
 
Titan was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 1 per cent, followed by TCS, HCL Technologies, Reliance Industries, UltraTech Cement, and Bharti Airtel.

 
Dr Reddy’s Lab, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, and HUL were among the gainers. “After opening at a record high, the domestic markets slipped into the negative zone tracking cues from global peers due to spike in Covid cases across Asia,” said Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services.