Sensex down 180pts; HDFC, ICICI Bank shed 3%

The Sensex opened 99 points lower at 8,944, and has since extended losses and is now down 186 points at 8,856.

DLF has slumped 4.5% to Rs 149. Mahindra & Mahindra has tumbled over 4% to Rs 278.

ICICI Bank and Sterlite have plunged 3.5% each to Rs 349 and Rs 248, respectively.

Reliance Communications and HDFC have dropped over 3% each to Rs 157 and Rs 1,349, respectively.

HDFC Bank has slipped nearly 3% to Rs 860. Wipro and Reliance Infrastructure have shed 2.8% each at Rs 214 and Rs 495, respectively.

TCS, Jaiprakash Associates, Larsen & Toubro and ONGC have slipped around 2.5% each to Rs 478, Rs 67, Rs 626 and Rs 665, respectively.

Infosys, Tata Steel, BHEL, Tata Motors, Grasim and Reliance are down 2% each.