Sensex down nearly half a percent

Mumbai, April 23 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets was trading nearly half a percent down in the afternoon trade Tuesday after banks, capital goods and automobile stocks plummetted.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the red at 19,210.26 points, was trading at 19,107.13 points in the mid-afternoon session, down 0.33 percent or 62.70 points from its previous day close at 19,169.83 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 19,210.26 points and low of 19,042.08 points in the intra-day trade.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was trading 0.37 percent or 21.80 points down at 5,812.60 points.

There was heavy selling in interest-sensitive stocks like banks, capital goods, automobile, public sector undertakings (PSU) and realty.

The BSE bank index was down 179.54 points and the metal index was down 20.84 points. Capital goods index was trading 158.26 percent lower, automobile index was down 49.94 points lower, PSU index was down 42.06 points, and realty index was lower by 22.97 points.

However, the informational technology (IT) index was up 44.70 points.