Sensex closes 72 points down; IT stocks lose

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed Friday's trade 72 points lower in a volatile session ahead of the wholesale price index figures and US stimulus tapering next week.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,744.54 points, closed (provisionally) at 19,710.01 points, down 71.87 points or 0.36 percent from its previous day's close at 19,781.88 points.

The benchmark Sensex touched a high of 19,899.37 points and a low of 19,675.68 points in the day's trade.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) lost 0.07 percent or 4.20 points at 5,846.50 points.

Healthy buying was observed in capital goods, public sectors undertakings (PSUs), automobile, power and metal stocks.

However, heavy selling took place in information technology (IT), consumer durables, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), technology, entertainment and media (TECk) and bank sector.

The S&P capital goods index gained 188.81 points, PSU index closed the day's trade up by 103.90 points, automobile index was up 90.90 points, power index, was 35.44 points higher and metal index rose 34.96 points.

IT index dropped by 105.31 points, followed by consumer durables index was down 102.98 points, FMCG index was down 80.02 points, TECk index was down 47.14 points and bank index was lower by 3.82 points.