Mumbai, Feb 5 (Inditop.com) Indian equities markets were in a slump Friday with most traders still preferring to sell, resulting in a benchmark index trading 353 points in the red, about two hours after the opening bell.
Around 11.00 a.m., the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,222.56 points, soon fell below the 16,000-mark and around 11 a.m., was trading at 15,871.27 points, down 353.68 points or 2.18 percent from its previous close at 16,224.95 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was at 4,727.55 points, against the previous close at 4,845.35 points, a loss of 2.43 percent or 117.8 points.
The selling pressure spread to broader markets as well with the BSE midcap index down 2.77 percent and the BSE small cap index trading 2.99 percent lower.
All 13 BSE sectoral indices were in the red, with realty, metal, banking and consumer durables scrips losing the most.
Rising sovereign debt in Europe and poor job data from the US spooked other major Asian markets with most investors doubting the potential of an economic recovery in the developed world.
The benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, was ruling 2.77 percent lower at 10,069.59 points, and the Hang Seng of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was down 2.91 percent at 19,749.33 points.
The Chinese Shanghai composite index too was in the negative territory, at 2,937.82 points, 1.92 percent down, while the Korean Kospi was ruling 3.16 percent lower at 1,565.28 points.
