Mumbai, Aug 2 (IANS) A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was almost 75 points down Thursday in afternoon trade on profit booking after recent gains.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,245.68 points, was ruling at 17,182.72 points, 0.43 percent or 74.66 points down from its previous day’s close at 17,257.38 points.
It had gained nearly 620 points in the last four sessions.
The BSE oil and gas index was down 78.84 points, followed by banking index, down 88.52 points and auto index, down 42.26 points.
The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was ruling 0.43 percent up at 5,218.15 points.
The main Sensex losers were Tata Motors, down 1.94 percent at Rs.222.90; Tata Power, down 1.51 percent at Rs.98.15; Sterlite Inds, down 1.51 percent at Rs.104.35; HDFC Bank, down 1.42 percent at Rs.578.65; and SBI, down 1.33 percent at Rs.2,005.60.
The major Sensex gainers were NTPC, up 2.16 percent at Rs.160.75; Jindal Steel, up 1.09 percent at Rs.404.25; Bharti Airtel, up 0.91 percent at Rs.300.25; Dr Reddy’s Lab, up 0.46 percent at Rs.1,644; and ITC, up 0.35 percent at Rs.259.65.
Among other Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei was up 0.13 percent while Shanghai’s composite index was 0.57 percent lower. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was also down 0.84 percent.
