Indian markets opened in green today with the Asian markets also doing well. Thirty-share BSE Sensex started the day at 9223, up 157 points from its previous close. Fifty-share broad based NSE Nifty kicked off the day at 2816, up 44 points. Market breadth in the early session of trade remained negative with advances at 393 against declines of 136 on NSE.
On Monday, Sensex closed on a weak note due to weak global cues following renewed concerns about the deteriorating state of the US economy. All sectors ended in red. Realty and metal stocks were the worst performers of the day. Realty plunged the most as shares of real estate developers DLF and Unitech plummeted on the back of December quarter earnings which fell below street expectations.
Sensex ended the day with a loss of 357.54 points, or 3.79 per cent at 9,066.70 after touching a high of 9,363.58 and a low of 9,048.97. Nifty declined 108.15 points, or 3.76 per cent at 2,766.65 after hitting a high of 2,873.45 and a low of 2,760.70. Midcap and Smallcap index declined 1.55 per cent and 1.53 per cent respectively. Among the sectoral indices, BSE Realty plummeted 10.32 per cent, Metal plunged by 5.34 per cent, Bankex dropped 5.11 per cent and Consumer durables dipped 4.16 per cent.
Hindustan Unilever, which rose 0.17 per cent was the only gainer at the BSE Sensex on Monday. Jaiprakash Associates (13.70 per cent), DLF (13.54 per cent), Reliance Energy (10.50 per cent), Reliance Capital (7.95 per cent), ICICI Bank (7.54 per cent), and Housing Development Finance Corporation (7.37 per cent) were the major losers in the Sensex.
— Shailesh Shah
