Sensex loses 90 points; banks fall

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Tuesday closed 90 points lower due to lingering worries over the US debt ceiling crisis.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,722.90 points, closed at 20,517.96 points (provisional), down 89.58 points or 0.43 percent from the previous day's close at 20,607.54 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 20,759.58 points and a low of 20,446.73 points intra-day.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also closed at 6,089.05 points (provisionally), down 23.65 points or 0.39 percent.

Good buying was seen in metal, information technology (IT), technology, media and entertainment (TECk) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors.

Selling pressure was seen in bank, consumer durables, capital goods, automobile and public sector undertakings (PSUs) stocks.

The S&P BSE metal index gained 88.17 points, while IT index was up 59.95 points and TECk index was higher by 31.39 points. FMCG index ended 11.29 points up.

However, the bank index lost 353.68 points, followed by consumer durables index, down 82.34 points, capital goods index, down 76.75 points, automobile index, down 71.01 points and PSU index, down 61.84 points.