Sensex falls 111 points; capital goods, auto stocks slide

A benchmark index for Indian equities markets fell 111 points Thursday, snapping two-day recovery, due to heavy selling pressure in capital goods, auto and energy stocks.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the positive at 19,626.81 points, ended the day at 19,497.18 points, down 0.57 percent or 110.90 points from its previous day close at 19,608.08 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 19,639.83 points and low of 19,444.33 points in the intra-day.
The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange closed 0.61 percent or 36 points down at 5,896.95 points.

There was heavy selling pressure in capital goods, oil and gas, power and auto stocks.
The capital goods index of the BSE slumped 2.27 percent. Oil and gas index fell 1.59 percent, auto index declined 1.49 percent and power index closed 1.25 percent down.

The country's largest lender State Bank of India slumped 1.80 percent at Rs.2,214.35 after announcing disappointing earnings. SBI's third quarter profit increased by a sluggish four percent at Rs.3,396.06 crore.

Bharti Airtel, down 4.02 percent at Rs.312.40; Wipro, down 3.33 percent at Rs.395.95; Maruti Suzuki, down 3.30 percent at Rs.1,484.80; L&T, down 2.72 percent at Rs.1,442.20; RIL, down 2.63 percent at Rs.855.15; and Tata Motors, down 2.59 percent at Rs.296.70 were among the major Sensex losers.

Fourteen of the 30 Sensex scrips closed in the positive. Hindustan Unilever, up 2.24 percent at Rs.464.25; Gail India, up 1.97 percent at Rs.334.35; HDFC Bank, up 1.65 percent at Rs.674.90; Tata Steel, up 1.17 percent at Rs.380.55; and TCS, up 1.15 percent at Rs.1,447 were among the major Sensex gainers.