Sensex slides as US Fed reduces stimulus

Domestic stocks edged lower in choppy trade on Thursday consequent to US Federal Reserve in the previous evening announced further reduction in its monthly bond purchases and signaled that it is likely to keep reducing its purchases in the coming months, citing a pickup in US economic activity and improvement in the US labour market.

The BSE Sensex lost 149.05 points or 0.72 per cent to settle at 20,498.25, its lowest closing level since  November 27, 2013. The 50-unit CNX Nifty at NSE shed 46.55 points or 0.76 per cent to close at 6,073.70.

Notwithstanding the above development, the key benchmark indices in D-Street trimmed intraday losses on the back of a Finance Ministry statement that India's economy is better prepared for the consequences, if any, of reduction in bond purchases by the US Federal Reserve and that the Union government and the central bank will continue to remain vigilant and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that there is stability in the financial markets.

The market was volatile as traders rolled over positions in the futures & options (F&O) segment from the January 2014 series to February 2014 series. The January 2014 F&O contracts expired on Thursday.

With this, domestic shares fell for the fifth day in a row on January 30, 2014.
From a recent high of 21,373.66 on 23 January 2014, the Sensex has declined 875.41 points or 4.09 percent in five trading sessions. The Sensex has lost 672.43 points or 3.17 percent in this month so far (till 30 January 2014).

From a record high of 21,483.74 on December 9, 2013, the Sensex has declined 985.49 points or 4.58 percent. From a 52-week low of 17,448.71 on 28 August 2013, the Sensex has risen 3,049.54 points or 17.47 percent.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar, tracking weakness in emerging markets after the Federal Reserve further pruned its monetary stimulus.

The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 62.57, compared with its close of 62.41/42 on Wednesday.