Sensex closes 116 points down

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed 116 points down Monday with IT, metal and realty stocks coming under selling pressure.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the positive at 17,241.98 points, closed at 17,096.98 points, (provisional) down 0.68 percent or 116.72 points from its previous day close at 17,213.70 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange closed 0.64 percent down at 5,194 points.

The major Sensex losers were: Tata Steel, down 4.29 percent at Rs.407.40; TCS, down 3.55 percent at Rs.1,205.30; Jindal Steel, down 2.85 percent at Rs.418.20; Tata Motors, down 2.85 percent at Rs.228.80; Infosys, down 2.68 percent at Rs.2,168.

The main gainers were: Bharti Airtel, up 3.83 percent at Rs.319.60; Dr Reddys Lab, up 1.81 percent at Rs.1,676.10; Maruti Suzuki, up 1.38 percent at Rs.1,200; Cipla, up 1.22 percent at Rs.332.90; Sun Pharma, up 1.01 percent at Rs.623.

Among other Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei closed 0.05 percent up and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.15 percent higher. China’s Composite index was 1.74 percent down.