Sensex down 1.29 per cent in afternoon trade

Around 1.11 pm, the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened lower at 16,191.39 points was ruling at 16,073.15 points, 1.29 percent or 210.34 points below Wednesday's close at 16,283.49 points. Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also in the red at 4,761.7 points, down 1.34 per cent from its last close.

Selling was rampant across the market, with broader market indices ruling deeper in the red. The BSE midcap index was 1.73 per cent down, while the BSE small cap index was trading 1.47 percent lower. The market breadth was negative, with 677 stocks advancing, 1,860 declining and 61 remaining unchanged.

Among the gainers this time on the Sensex were Sun Pharma, up 2.05 per cent; Hindustan Unilever, up 1.61 percent; Tata Power, up 1.21 percent and Wipro, 0.63 per cent. Among the losers were DLF, down 4.57 per cent; Reliance Communications, down 4.48 per cent; Tata Motors, down 3.93 per cent and Jaiprakash Associates, down 3.73 percent. Asian markets were also in the red for the third consecutive day.

The primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hang Seng, was ruling 557.99 points or 2.56 percent lower at 21,203.59 points. At the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the composite index was ruling 1.6 percent down at 2,982.81 points. The Kospi, the benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, was also in the red at 1,585.85 points, down 23.86 points or 1.48 percent. The Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed 183.95 points or 1.83 percent lower at 9,891.1 points.