Bourses fall for 2nd day on losses in RIL, HUL

Mumbai: Benchmark Sensex and Nifty closed lower for the second day in a row on Friday due to a decline in index major Reliance Industries, Hindustan Unilever, and Infosys amid concerns over global economic slowdown.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 236.66 points or 0.39 per cent to settle at 60,621.77 with 20 of its constituents ending in red. During the day, it fell 273.18 points or 0.44 per cent to 60,585.25. The broader NSE Nifty fell by 80.20 points or 0.44 per cent to end at 18,027.65 as 36 of its stocks closed with losses.

From the Sensex pack, Hindustan Unilever fell the most by 3.84 per cent amid concerns over increase in royalty and central services arrangement fee to its parent Unilever group.

Reliance Industries declined by 1.15 per cent ahead of its financial results while Infosys closed lower by 1.03 per cent.

Among others, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance, Nestle, Bajaj Finserv, Larsen & Toubro, Maruti and Bharti Airtel also dropped.

Power Grid was the biggest gainer, rising by 1.2 per cent. HDFC Bank, HDFC, ITC, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank and State Bank of India were also among the gainers.

In the broader market, the BSE midcap gauge fell 0.66 per cent and smallcap index declined 0.50 per cent.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty eked out gains for a second week in a row. Sensex advanced by 360 points while Nifty gained 71 points on weekly basis.

International oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.82 per cent to $86.87 per barrel.

The rupee appreciated 19 paise to close at 81.17 against the US dollar on Friday on broad dollar weakness.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital markets and they bought shares worth Rs 399.98 crore, according to exchange data.