Sensex closes 165 points down; metal stocks fall

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets ended Tuesday's trade 165 points down, as metal, bank and automobile stocks dipped.

This is the third straight session of fall in markets which retreated after touching record highs last week.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 22,654.28 points, closed trading at 22,466.19 points (provisional), down 165.42 points or 0.73 percent from the previous day's close at 22,631.61 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 22,681.89 points and a low of 22,443.56 points in trade.

Heavy selling pressure was in metal, bank and automobile scrips.

The metal index of the BSE fell 279.17 points, followed by bank index which edged lower by 190.48 points while the automobile index was down 160.58 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) too ended in the red. It closed 43.65 points or 0.65 percent down at 6,717.60 points.