Sensex succumbs to global pressure

The Sensex today opened flat at 11,371, and touched a high of 11,376.

However, weak cues from the Asian and US markets forced the index to slip into the negative zone. The index extended losses as the day progressed and tumbled to a low of 10,962 towards the end of day.

The Sensex finally ended with a significant loss of 370 points (3.2%) at 11,002.

The BSE Realty and Metal indexes slumped 5.7% each to 2,076 and 6,696, respectively. The Bankex fell 5% at 5,442.

The market breadth was negative. Out of 2,542 stocks traded, 1,807 declined and 654 advanced today.

Meanwhile elsewhere in Asia - The Nikkei plunged 2.7% (233 points) to 8,494. The Hang Seng slumped 2% (285 points) to 14,555. The Seoul Composite shed 3% at 1,300, and the Taiwan Weighted index dropped nearly 2% to 5,597.

INDEX SHAKERS

DLF and Sterlite slumped 8% each to Rs 225 and Rs 383, respectively.

Tata Steel and HDFC tumbled 7.5% each to Rs 234 and Rs 1,671, respectively.

Reliance Communications and Reliance Infrastructure plunged around 7% each to Rs 208 and Rs 662, respectively.

Tata Motors shed 6.5% at Rs 233. ICICI Bank dropped over 6% to Rs 439.

BHEL, Hindalco, HDFC Bank and Larsen & Toubro slipped 4% each to Rs 1,602, Rs 53, Rs 1,071 and Rs 873, respectively.

SBI, ITC, Tata Power, Wipro, Reliance, Hindustan Unilever, ACC, Bharti Airtel and ONGC dropped 2-3% each.   

There was not a single gainer among the index stocks.

OTHER MAJOR LOSERS...

IVRCL Infrastructures & Project slumped around 11.5% to Rs 182. It was followed by Indian Bank, Nagarjuna Constructions, Aban Offshore, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Welspun-Gujarat Stahl Rohren, Punjab National Bank, HDIL, Rolta India, Hindustan Construction, Glenmark Pharma, BEML and IFCI declined 11-9% each.

...AND THE GAINERS

Godrej Consumers soared 8% to Rs 145. It was followed by Indian Oil, Castrol India, Colgate Palmolive, Piramal Healthcare, Everest Kanto, BPCL, Proctor & Gamble and Nestle gained 1-3% each.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

Reliance Capital topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 221.25 crore followed by Jaiprakash Associates ( Rs 211.20 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 205.22 crore), Reliance (Rs 190.49 crore) and Reliance Infrastructure (Rs 171.25 crore).

Unitech led the volume chart with trades of 23.10 million shares followed by Jaiprakash Associates (16 million), Reliance Natural Resources (13.90 million), Suzlon (10.13 million) and IFCI (8.62 million).