Sensex down 123 points; auto stocks plunge

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading down 123 points or 0.43 percent during Thursday's late afternoon trade session, as interest sensitive stocks like automobiles and bank plunged.

Heavy selling pressure was seen in automobile, bank, healthcare, consumer durables, oil and gas, metal and capital goods stocks. While information technology (IT), fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and technology, entertainment and media (TECK) scrip gained.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 28,892.21 points, was trading at 28,727.92 points (at 2.00 p.m.) in the late afternoon session, down 123.05 points or 0.43 percent from the previous day's close at 28,850.97 points.

The Sensex has touched a high of 28,922.85 points and a low of 28,706.40 points in the trade so far.

The S&P BSE automobile index was plunged 525.13 points, bank index was lower by 250.33 points, healthcare index fell by 229.53 points, consumer durables index lost 144.51 points, oil and gas index declined by 129.56 points, metal index was down 111.69 points and capital goods index decreased by 106.53 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was trading flat-- down 32.65 points or 0.37 percent at 8,679.05 points.