Markets halt 3-day rally; Sensex falls 359 pts, Nifty ends below 16,600

Equity benchmarks declined on Tuesday after a three-day rally, with the Sensex falling 359.33 points amid selling in index majors HDFC, Reliance Industries and Infosys.

Investors were cautious ah­ead of release of GDP data, whi­le a jump in crude oil prices al­so weighed on market sentim ent, traders said. The 30-share BSE Sensex went lower by 359.33 points or 0.64 per cent to settle at 55,566.41. During the day, it tanked 556.6 points or 0.99 per cent to 55,369.14.

The broader NSE Nifty declined 76.85 points or 0.46 per cent to end at 16,584.55.

From the Sensex pack, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Sun Pharma,