Weak global cues subdue Indian equities

Weak global cues and heavy selling pressure in banking, healthcare and metal stocks pulled the Indian equity markets lower on Friday.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) broke the important 9,200 mark and fell by 63.65 points or 0.69 per cent to 9,198.30 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 29,850.71 points, provisionally closed at 29,706.61 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- down 220.73 points or 0.74 per cent from the previous close at 29,927.34 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 29,886.12 points and a low of 29,668.45 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was bearish -- with 1,620 declines and 1,293 advances.

On Thursday, the benchmark indices closed marginally in the red after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its interest rates unchanged in its first bi-monthly Monetary Policy Review of the 2017-18 fiscal.

--IANS

ppg/vt