Sensex ends down 73pts

The Sensex has ended (provisional) at 17,543 - down 73 points. Nifty ended down 17 points at 5,257.
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(Updated at 1457 hrs)

The markets have slipped deeper into the red and the Sensex is now at 17,560, down 60 points. The NSE Nifty is at 5,252, down 22 points.

Among the losers on the BSE, Reliance Communications and Reliance Infrastructure have declined 3.5% and 2.5%, respectively.

The other losers are Sterlite Industries, Maruti, Hindalco Industries and Tata Steel, down 1.5% each on the BSE.

Hero Honda and HUL are down 2% each at Rs 2,020 and Rs 256, respectively.

The other gainers are BHEL, Larsen & Toubro and SBI are up 1% each.

The market breadth is extremely negative, out of 2,937 shares traded, 1,764 have declined and 1,070 have advanced so far on the BSE.

The BSE midcap and the smallcap indices are down 0.5% each.Bajaj Finserv and Sadbhav Engineer have declined 10% and 5%, respectively on the midcap index.

Bajaj Hindistan Sugar and Reliance Media are down 7% at Rs 22 and Rs 208, respectively on the smallcap index.Bajaj Finserv and Sadbhav Engineer have declined

10% and 5%, respectively on the midcap index. Bajaj Hindistan Sugar and Reliance Media are down 7% at Rs 22 and Rs 208, respectively on the smallcap index.

Among the sectoral indices, the metal index is the major dragger, down 2% at 14,756. It is followed by oil&gas and realty indices, down 1%