The Sensex opened maginally (18 points) higher at 13,480. After gyrating between zones the index touched a high of 13,613, and thereafter slipped deeper into red as the day progressed.
Heavy all-round selling saw the index plunge below the 13,000-mark to a low of 12,904. The Sensex finally ended with a loss of 558 points at 12,904.
The market breadth was extremely negative - out of 2,724 stocks traded, 2,268 declined and 409 advanced today.
The NSE Nifty dropped 144 points to end below the 4,000-mark at 3,897.
INDEX SHAKERS...
Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Communications slumped 10.5% each to Rs 688 and Rs 392, respectively.
Mahindra & Mahindra tumbled over 9% to Rs 430. Maruti and SBI plunged around 8% each to Rs 560 and Rs 1,007, respectively.
DLF shed 7% at Rs 361. HDFC and ICICI Bank dropped 6.5% each to Rs 1,800 and Rs 580, respectively.
Jaiprakash Associates slipped 6% to Rs 131. Hindalco declined 5.6% to Rs 132.
Grasim and Wipro were down 5% each at Rs 1,701 and Rs 413, respectively.
...SOLE GAINER
NTPC up 1% at Rs 153 was the sole gainer among the index stocks.
MOST ACTIVE COUNTERS
Reliance topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 421.50 crore followed by Reliance Capital (Rs 337.70 crore), Reliance Petroleum (Rs 239.25 crore), Reliance Infrastructure (Rs 137.75 crore) and Reliance Communications (Rs 115.40 crore).
