Metal stocks shed 3.6% amid Chinese demand worries, the most since April 12

State-owned SAIL and Jindal Steel & Power have lost over 17% each since May 10. Industry leaders Tata Steel, JSW Steel and Hindalco are down over 8% each

The stellar rally in commodity-linked stocks has ground to a halt. The BSE Metal index on Thursday fell 3.6 per cent—the most since April 12. In the previous seven trading sessions, the index has dropped nearly 9 per cent even as the benchmark Sensex is little changed during this period.

The weakness in stock prices comes amid a slump in underlying metal prices due to growing concerns over inflation globally and China's call for tougher oversight of commodity markets and protecting consumers from soaring prices.

High-flying stocks such as state-owned Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and Jindal Steel and Power