The Nifty50 index saw its sharpest one-day fall on Monday, crashing 13 per cent, as the virtual shutdown of the economy to contain the spread of coronavirus spooked investors. The selloff was so severe that it shaved off a record Rs 14 trillion of market capitalisation. Over the weekend, the Centre and many state governments announced lockdowns, bringing the economy to a grinding halt, as the tally of those infected surged past 450 and the death toll reached nine, raising fears of a community spread.
Market experts said investors were afraid of the unprecedented disruption to business activity pushing the country into a prolonged recession if the outbreak did not stem. The Nifty dropped 1,135 points, or 13 per cent, to close at 7,610, the lowest since April 8, 2016. This was the steepest fall for the index, both in percentage and point terms.
The Sensex dropped 3,935 points, or 13.2 per cent, to end at 25,981, the lowest close
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