Sensex tanks over 200 points in early trade

Equity benchmark BSE Sensex on Thursday tanked over 200 points in early trade on concerns over weak core industrial growth data and sustained foreign fund outflows.

The 30-share index was trading 205.69 points or 0.55 per cent lower at 37,275.43; and the broader Nifty also fell 16.15 points or 0.44 per cent to 11,069.25.

In the Sensex pack, Vedanta took the biggest hit, trading 2.92 per cent lower, followed by Tech Mahindra, Yes Bank, Tata Motors and Tata steel.

However, Power Grid, IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, Asian Paint, Maruti and HCL Tech, were trading in the green.

In the previous session, Sensex gained 83.88 points or 0.22 per cent to end at 37,481.12. The broader NSE Nifty ended 32.60 points or 0.29 per cent up at 11,118.00.

The markets continue to witness persistent outflow of foreign funds from equities.

Foreign investors sold shares worth Rs 1,497.07 crore on a net basis on Wednesday, as per provisional data with stock exchanges.

Growth of eight core industries dropped to 0.2 per cent in June, mainly due to contraction in oil-related sectors as well as cement production, according to official data.

The government on Wednesday also revised downwards the growth rate of these eight sectors for May to 4.3 per cent from the earlier estimate of 5.1 per cent.

Overall investor sentiment was weak after the government on Wednesday released the core industries output growth numbers, which dropped to 0.2 per cent in June, experts said.

Meanwhile, the government's fiscal deficit touched Rs 4.32 lakh crore for the June quarter, which is 61.4 per cent of the budget estimate for 2019-20 fiscal.

The US Federal Reserve reduced the benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points to 2.0-2.25 per cent on Wednesday for the first time in more than a decade.

Elsewhere in Asia, Shanghai Composite Index and Hang Seng were trading lower, while Nikkei and Kospi were in the green in their respective early sessions.

US stocks ended on a negative note on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the rupee declined by 32 paise to 69.12 against the US dollar in morning trade.

The global oil benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.70 per cent to 65.17 per barrel.