Mumbai: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled over 2 per cent on Friday after a two-day rally, in tandem with a global selloff, as investor sentiment weakened due to uncertainties over geopolitical tensions.
Crude oil prices staying above the $100 per barrel mark, the rupee’s fall to record lows, and unabated foreign fund outflows also added to the gloom.
The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 1,690.23 points, or 2.25 per cent, to settle at 73,583.22. During the day, it plunged 1,739.04 points, or 2.31 per cent, to 73,534.41.
A total of 3,544 stocks declined, while 822 advanced and 135 remained unchanged on the BSE.
Tracking the bearish trend in equities, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies slumped by Rs 8,86,383.92 crore to Rs 4,22,15,450.82 crore ($4.46 trillion).
The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 486.85 points, or 2.09 per cent, to end at 22,819.60.
In a holiday-shortened week, the BSE benchmark lost 949.74 points or 1.27 per cent, and the Nifty tanked 294.9 points or 1.27 per cent.
From the 30-Sensex firms, Reliance Industries dropped the most by 4.55 per cent, followed by InterGlobe Aviation, Bajaj Finance, State Bank of India, Eternal and HDFC Bank.
In contrast, Tata Consultancy Services, Bharti Airtel and Power Grid were the gainers.
The BSE MidCap Select index dropped 2.12 per cent, and the SmallCap Select index declined 1.77 per cent.
All sectoral indices ended lower. PSU Bank tumbled 3.88 per cent, realty (3.10 per cent), services (2.86 per cent), auto (2.79 per cent), Bankex (2.70 per cent), financial services (2.69 per cent), consumer discretionary (2.52 per cent), and consumer durables (2.50 per cent).
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 1.72 per cent to $109.9 per barrel.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,805.37 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), however, bought stocks worth Rs 5,429.78 crore.