Metal stocks plunge on worries of China slowdown

Reuters Market Eye - Shares of metal companies plunged after data on Saturday showed China's exports unexpectedly tumbled in February, raising fears of a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy. The BSE metals index is down 7.2 percent year-to-date, while the benchmark Sensex is up 3.4 percent in the same period.

"Metal stocks have not yet participated in the ongoing rally on fears relating to the slowdown in China," said Varun Khandelwal, fund manager, Bullero Capital Pvt Ltd. "The recent trade data from China was rather poor; it also affirmed that the earlier negative print was not an aberration in data."

BSE-listed shares of Hindalco Industries fall 2.7 percent. Steel Authority of India loses 2.7 percent while Tata Steel is down 1.6 percent.

(Reporting by Dipika Lalwani)