Benchmark domestic equity indices snapped their two-day rising streak today. The Sensex fell 429 points, or 0.6 per cent to close at 72,639. The Nifty dropped 173 points, or nearly 0.8 per cent to settle at 22,603.
In the broader market at the National Stock Exchange, the Midcap 100 index lost over 0.6 per cent while the Smallcap 100 index advanced 0.3 per cent.
In the Sensex pack, 26 of the 30 constituent companies logged losses. Among the top underperformers, Titan shed three and a half per cent, BEL dropped 2.2 per cent and Asian Paints fell 2.1 per cent. In contrast, Kotak Mahindra Bank surged 2.2 per cent, Bharti Airtel rose over 1.3 per cent and ICICI Bank jumped over 1.1 per cent.
In the sectoral indices on the BSE, 24 out of 28 sectors edged downward. Among the top laggards, Metal shed nearly two and a half per cent, Consumer Durables fell over 1.8 per cent, and Realty dropped more than 1.7 per cent. In contrast, PSU Banks gained 1.2 per cent, Housing Finance as well as Telecommunication jumped over 0.9 per cent, and Hospitals added more than 0.2 per cent.
The overall market breadth at the BSE was negative, as shares of 2360 companies declined, 2013 advanced and 241 remained unchanged.
