Sensex ends 240 points down amid negative global cues

Mumbai (IANS)- A key index for Indian equities Tuesday closed 240 points lower on profit booking amid negative global cues.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,777.95 points, ended at 17,534.09 points, 240.17 points or 1.35 percent down from its previous close at 17,774.26 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,256.15 points, down 1.45 percent from its previous close at 5,333.5 points.

Broader market indices too were in the red with the BSE midcap index ending 0.65 percent lower and the BSE smallcap index 0.62 percent down.

Metals, realty, oil and gas, and banking scrips saw most of the selling, with most of the 13 sectoral indices ending in the red.

The market breadth was tilted towards the negative, with 1,129 scrips on the advance, compared to 1,728 stocks declining, and 132 remaining unchanged.

There were only three gainers on the Sensex - L&T, up 0.22 percent at Rs.1,793.95; Bharti Airtel, up 0.15 percent at Rs.265.95, and ONGC, up 0.13 percent at Rs.1,305.95.

Prominent losers included Hindalco Industries, down 4.35 percent at  Rs.144.15; Reliance Communications, down 3.82 percent at Rs.193.75; Tata Steel, down 3.7 percent at Rs.481.50; and Reliance Infratel, down 2.87 percent at Rs.1,180.30.

According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors bought scrips worth $190.68 million Tuesday.

Asian markets ended in the red as well.

The Japanese Nikkei ended 1.27 percent lower at 9,570.67 points as the Yen grew stronger leading to losses in exporters' stocks.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed 2.31 percent down at 20,248.9 points. The Chinese Shanghai composite index too was in the red at 2,427.05 points, 4.27 percent lower.

The South Korean Kospi too closed lower at 1,707.76 points, 1.4 percent down.

European markets fell on renewed worries over the state of finances of banks in the zone, with a scheduled payment by banks to the European Central Bank due.

In Britain, the benchmark index, FTSE 100 was ruling 1.85 percent lower at 4,977.85 points, while the French CAC 40 was down 2.48 percent at 3,487.62 points.

The German DAX was trading 2.13 percent lower at 6,026.18 points.