Sensex down 441pts; breadth -ve

The Sensex is now down 441 points at 9,607. Banking, realty and metal stocks continue to remain the major draggers on the index.

The BSE Bankex has slumped 7.3% to 4,474. The Realty index has shed 7% at 1,521, and the Metal index has plunged 6.7% to 5,698.

Jaiprakash Associates has slumped over 11% to Rs 80. ICICI Bank has tumbled over 10% to Rs 346.

Sterlite and Tata Steel have plunged around 9% each to Rs 340 and Rs 204, respectively.

TCS, Reliance Communications, DLF and Hindalco have shed around 8% each ato Rs 528, Rs 169, Rs 169 and Rs 51, respectively.

SBI has dropped 7% to Rs 1,046. HDFC has shed 6.5% at Rs 1,488.

Tata Motors has slipped over 5% to Rs 179. HDFC Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra and BHEL have declined 4.5% each to Rs 950, Rs 368 and Rs 1,481, respectively.

Grasim, ONGC and Wipro are down around 4% each at Rs 1,540, Rs 776 and Rs 243, respectively.

Sun Pharma has rallied over 2% to Rs 1,103. NTPC has advanced over 1% to Rs 184.

The market breadth is negative - out of 2,262 stocks traded, 1,394 have declined, 793 have advanced and 75 are unchanged.