Sensex extends losses... now down over 400pts

The Sensex continues to extend losses and is now down 410 points at 9,638. Banking, realty and metal stocks are the major draggers on the index.

The BSE Bankex has slumped 6.7% to 4,505, and the Metal index has plunged 6.5% to 5,711. The Realty index shed 5.6% at 1,543.

Sterlite has slumped 10.7% to Rs 334. ICICI Bank has tumbled 9.5% to Rs 349, and Jaiprakash Associates has plunged 8.5% to Rs 82.

Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Communications and Hindalco have dropped around 7% each to Rs 527, Rs 171 and Rs 51, respectively.

TCS and Tata Steel have shed over 6.5% each at Rs 537 and Rs 209, respectively.

DLF, HDFC and SBI have slipped over 6% each to Rs 171, Rs 1,491 and Rs 1,056, respectively.

Tata Motors has declined over 5% to Rs 179. HDFC Bank, BHEL, Grasim, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Power are the other major losers.

Sun Pharma, however, has moved up 1.6% to Rs 1,097. NTPC has advanced over 1% to Rs 184.

The market breadth is negative - out of 2,148 stocks traded, 1,242 have declined, 825 have advanced and the rest are unchanged.