Mumbai: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex Wednesday fell by about 60 points to trade below 17k level in opening trade, after witnessing three-session winning
streak, as funds and retail investors preferred to book profits amid weak Asian markets.
The Sensex slipped by 59.85 points to 16,990.80 points in opening trade. It had gained about 355 points in the past three sessions.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also drifted by 17.65 points to 5,044.60.
Brokers said besides fresh spell of profit-taking by funds and general investors after recent gains, losses in other Asian markets which were down up to 0.70 per cent in
early trade today, also dampened the trading sentiments here.
Stocks of metals, oil and gas, realty and capital goods sectors, which had registered gains in the past few sessions, succumbed to profit-booking.
Among metal stocks, Sterlite Industries fell by 0.37 per cent to Rs 868, Tata Steel by 1.87 per cent to Rs 527.80 and Hindalco by 0.59 per cent to Rs 134.20.
Other major losers which also dragged the Sensex down were Reliance Industries by 0.29 per cent to Rs 2,127.50, State Bank of India by 1.15 per cent to Rs 2,324.15, ICICI
Bank by 0.86 per cent to Rs 910.85, DLF Ltd by 0.77 per cent to Rs 374.90 and ONG Corp by 0.37 per cent to Rs 1,167.90 .
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 10:38