Sensex ends down 128 pts

The Sensex had ended (provisional) at 17,748 - down 128 points. The Nifty has ended (provisional) at 5,318 - down 36 points.
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(Updated at 1501 hrs)

The markets have extended losses on account of fresh weakness in Metal and banking stocks. The Sensex is now down 135 points at 17,742.

The BSE Metal index plunged over 2% to 15,252. The IT index dropped 1.3% to 5,367, and the Bankex is down nearly 1% at 10,997.

The NSE Nifty is down 35 points at 5,318.

Sterlite has dropped 2.7% to Rs 179. Jindal Steel and ACC have shed 2.3% each to Rs 670 and Rs 863, respectively.

Jaiprakash Associates and Tata Steel have slipped 2% each to Rs 131 and Rs 494, respectively.

Wipro, Tata Motors, Reliance Infrastructure, Hindalco and SBI are the other prominent losers.

Hindustan Unilever and ITC continue to trade firm with gains of 1% each at Rs 262 and Rs 302, respectively.

The market breadth is marginally negative - out of 2,951 stocks traded so far, 1,580 have declined, 1,248 have advanced and the rest are unchanged.