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Benchmark indices fell sharply at the fag-end of trade , with the Sensex dropping 539 points and the Nifty slipping below 24,100, as selling in blue-chip HDFC Bank and persistent geopolitical uncertainty weighed on market sentiment.
Falling for the second day, the 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 539.35 points, or 0.70 per cent, to settle at the day’s low of 76,933.59 on the monthly derivatives-expiry day. Similarly, the 50-share NSE Nifty declined 116.90 points, or 0.48 per cent, to end at the day’s low of 24,090.85.
Among the 30 Sensex firms, HDFC Bank, NTPC, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech and ITC were the major laggards.
“Geopolitical tensions continue to weigh on markets,” V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 0.44 per cent lower at USD 87.45 per barrel.
In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and Shanghai’s SSE Composite index quoted higher, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index traded lower.
