Key indices of the Indian equities markets fell sharply on Friday dragged by across-the-board selling pressure as rising Omicron cases hit investors' sentiments. The benchmark Sensex tanked nearly 900 points while Nifty slipped below 17,000 points.
Auto, banking and financial stocks slumped on concern that fast-spreading Omicron cases would derail the economic recovery. Negative cues from the global economy and equities markets also dented the sentiments at the markets. IndusInd Bank tumbled nearly 5 per cent. Kotak Bank plunged 3.55 per cent to Rs.1794.35.
The 30-stock S&P BSE Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange plunged 1.54 per cent or 889.40 points to 57,011.74 points.
The benchmark Sensex opened in the positive 58,021.63 points against the previous day's close at 57,901.14 points. However, the selling pressure gripped the market from early trade itself and the Sensex plunged to a low of 56,950.98 points in the intra-day.
The broader Nifty 50 of the National Stock Exchange tumbled below 17,000 points level. The Nifty 50 closed 1.53 per cent lower at 16,985.20 points after touching a low of 16,966.45 points in the intra-day.
The key indices of the Indian equities markets have closed in the red five out of the past six trading sessions.
The selling pressure was broad-based. Fourteen of the 30 Sensex scrips tumbled more than 2 per cent. Out of these six scrips plunged more than 3 per cent.
Major Sensex losers included: IndusInd Bank 4.89 per cent lower at Rs.883.25, Kotak Bank 3.55 per cent down at Rs.1794.35, Hindustan Unilever 3.43 per cent lower at Rs.2230.40, Titan 3.25 per cent down at Rs.2280.60, HDFC 3.08 per cent down at Rs.2617.20 and Bajaj Finserv 3.03 per cent down at Rs.16204.
Only five of the 30 scrips that are part of the Sensex closed in the positive. Infosys rose sharply for the second straight day after it announced plans to acquire Singtel's delivery centre in Malaysia. Infosys closed 2.84 per cent higher at Rs.1821.70.
HCL Technologies 0.96 per cent higher at Rs.1171.60; Power Grid 0.82 per cent higher at Rs.209.95, Sun Pharma 0.61 per cent higher at Rs.769.15 and TCS 0.16 per cent higher at Rs.3587.20, were the Sensex gainers.
(With inputs from ANI)
