Mumbai: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark
Sensex today lost over 68 points in opening trade as funds and
retail investors preferred to book profits amid weak Asian
markets.
The 30-share index, Sensex, declined by 68.60 points to
17,111.58 points. It had gained about 395 points in the past
two sessions.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also
slipped below the 5,100-points level and was quoted 19.40
points down at 5,084.15.
Brokers said besides fresh spell of profit-taking in
heavy-weight stocks by funds and retail investors after recent
gains, losses in other Asian markets, which were down by up to
one per cent in early trade today, also dampened the trading
sentiment here.
Stocks of oil and gas, banking and IT sectors, which had
registered gains in the past few sessions, reacted to
profit-booking.
Reliance Industries fell by 0.76 per cent to Rs 2,178.85,
ONGC by 0.46 per cent to Rs 1,181.10, Reliance Infra by 1.24
per cent to Rs 1,080.50, ICICI Bank by 1.29 per cent to Rs 905
and HDFC Bank by 0.89 per cent to Rs 2,812.95.
IT firm Infosys Tech moved down by 0.65 per cent to Rs
2,392 and TCS by 0.65 per cent to Rs 689.60.
However, stocks of Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Hero Honda,
Maruti Suzuki and SBI remained in positive zone on continued
buying by funds and capped losses.
PTI