Mumbai, July 21 (Inditop.com) A key index of the Indian equities markets lost over 128 points Tuesday as investors booked profits, especially in IT, power and PSU stocks.
The 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened at 15,218.83 points, lost 128.52 points or 0.85 percent to close at 15,062.49 points.
Similarly, the Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 0.9 percent lower at 4,461.8 points.
Broader market indices ended mixed, with the BSE midcap index closing 0.19 percent down and the BSE smallcap index ending 0.24 percent higher.
Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, those for IT, power and PSU stocks lost the most. Metal stocks gained while auto scrips saw some buying interest as well.
The market breadth tilted towards the negative with 1,289 stocks advancing compared to 1,343 declining. Eighty-six remained unchanged.
Among those in the green were Tata Steel, up 5.28 percent at Rs.411.75; Maruti Suzuki, up 2.62 percent at Rs.1,239.90; Hindustan Unilever, up 1.12 percent at Rs.269.80; and Jaiprakash Associates, up 1.08 percent at Rs.225.50.
Losers included TCS, down 4.54 percent at Rs.477.40; BHEL, down 2.67 percent at Rs.2,214.90; M&M, down 2.59 percent at Rs.776.25; and ITC, down 2.53 percent at Rs.219.75.
Data with the market watchdog, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), showed foreign funds were net buyers, lapping up scrips worth $145.8 million Tuesday.
Other Asian markets ended mixed, with the Nikkei 225 Stock Average, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed Tuesday at 9,652.02 points, up 256.7 points.
The Hang Seng, the primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ended flat at 19,501.73 points, down 0.64 points.
European markets were trading in the green with the FTSE 100, a key British index, ruling 30.93 points up at 4,474.55 points, while its French peer CAC 40 was ruling 25.53 points higher at 3,296.47 points.
Key US market indices futures remained almost unchanged Tuesday.
While the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures crawled up 10 points, the Standard and Poor’s 500 index future was up 0.3 points.
The technology-scrip heavy Nasdaq futures was trading flat.
