Sensex ends down 696pts; Realty index plunges 10%

The Sensex opened 131 points lower at 10,405. Unabated selling, especially in metal, realty and energy stocks, saw the index slide to lower levels as the day progressed.

The Sensex tumbled below the 10,000-mark to a low of 9,799, and finally settled with a loss of 696 points at 9,840.

The BSE Realty index slumped over 10% to 2,209. The Metal index shed 8.4% at 5,234, and the Power index plunged 7.7% to 1,769.

The market breadth was fairly negative - out of 2,602 stocks traded, 1,766 declined, 759 advanced and 77 were unchanged.

MAJOR INDEX SHAKERS...

Jaiprkash Associates slumped over 12% to Rs 85. Sterlite and Tata Steel plunged 11% each to Rs 248 and Rs 191, respectively.

Hindalco and DLF tumbled over 10% each to Rs 60 and Rs 268, respectively.

BHEL shed 9.7% at Rs 1,367. Satyam dropped over 9% to Rs 269.

ONGC and Tata Motors slipped around 10.5% each to Rs 735 and Rs 155, respectively.

Wipro, Mahindra & Mahindra and ICICI Bank declined around 8% each to Rs 248, Rs 357 and Rs 434, respectively.

Reliance dropped 7.5% to Rs 1,207. Bharti Airtel, Reliance Infrastructure and Tata Power were down around 7% each at Rs 658, Rs 578 and Rs 753, respectively.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

Reliance topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 266.70 crore followed by Jaiprakash Associates (Rs 221.40 crore), Reliance Infrastructure (Rs 160 crore), Reliance Communications (Rs 154.40 crore) and Reliance Capital (Rs 130.50 crore).

GVK Power led the volume chart with trades of around 2.63 crore shares followed by Jaiprakash Associates (2.53 crore), Suzlon (1.88 crore), Pennar (98 lakh) and Reliance Natural Resources (94 lakh).