Nifty at 6,300; BHEL, Tata Motors down 2.5%

Financials, Tata Motors and L&T among the top losers in opening deals

Markets extended losses in morning deals with the Sensex down 136 points at 21,237 and the Nifty was down 45 points at 6,300. Losses in names like HDFC twins, ICICI Bank, Tata Motors, L&T and Infosys contributed to 108 point fall seen on the Sensex.

Broader markers weakened. The smallcap index was down 0.8% and the midcap index slipped 0.7%, almost in line with the BSE benchmark index which was down 0.6%.

All the sectoral indices except IT were in the red. Auto, Metal, Realty, Capital Goods and Bankex indices were the top losers down 1-1.5%.
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(Updated at 1025 hrs)

Key benchmark indices started the day with a 0.4% cut with the Nifty opening briefly below the crucial 6,300 levels.

At 0918 hrs, the Sensex was down 85 points at 21,288 and the Nifty slipped 26 points to trade at 6,320.

In the broader markets, the mid and smallcap indices were marginally down 0.1% each.

Asian shares were off-color on Friday, extending the previous day's weakness as disappointing Chinese manufacturing data raised concerns over the economy, and investors sought safety in gold and the yen.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.1%, having fallen 1.3% in the previous session to a 4-1/2 month low following the Chinese factory activity report.

A decline in the flash Markit/HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index for China, the world's second-largest economy, reinforced concerns about global growth, especially in commodity-sensitive emerging markets.

As the yen strengthened against the dollar, Nikkei futures tumbled 2%, pointing to more losses for the Japanese benchmark after dropping 0.8% on Thursday.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrial average recording its third consecutive day of losses, as risky assets sold off in wake of disappointing manufacturing data in China.

Financials and materials stocks were the day's biggest losers while telecom services was the only positive sector as investors sold growth-oriented stocks and bought defensive ones. Trading volume was heavier than in recent sessions.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.07%, to 16,197, the S&P 500 lost 0.89%, to 1,828 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.57%, to 4,219.

Back home, IT index up 0.2% was the only sectoral index to open in the green territory. Power and Oil & Gas indices were flat with a positive bias.

Realty index down 1% was the top sectoral loser followed by Bankex, Capital Goods, Metal, Consumer Durables, Auto, FMCG and Health Care indices down 0.2-0.7%.

IT majors like TCS and Wipro up nearly 1% each were the top gainers among Sensex-30.

Sun Pharma, Reliance Industries, Coal India, Maruti Suzuki, Cipla, NTPC, Dr Reddys Lab and Hero MotoCorp up 0.4-0.6% were the other major gainers.

Auto majors Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors down 1.5% each were the top losers along with Tata Steel, HDFC and HDFC Bank down 1.3% each.

Sesa Sterlite, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, L&T, BHEL, ITC, HUL and ONGC down 0.3-0.8% were the other major losers.

Shares of Ranbaxy slumped 17% to Rs 348 after the USFDA banned more products of the company into the United States.

The market breadth was negative on the BSE in opening trades. 578 stocks declined while 458 stocks advanced.