The Sensex opened with a significant negative gap of 335 points at 13,666 on the back of negative news flow from the overseas markets. The US subprime crisis brought Lehman Brothers on the verge of bankruptcy as it was unable to find a buyer, while Bank of America bought another ailing firm - Merrill Lynch.
The selling bias was so intense that the index collapsed to a low of 13,151 - down 850 points from the previous close. The index, however, recovered partially towrads the close on the back of selective buying in auto, banking and FMCG stocks.
The Sensex finally ended with a loss of 470 points at 13,531.
The BSE Realty index slumped 7.7% at 4,335. The IT index dropped 5.5% to 3,597, and the Metal index shed 4.5% at 10,391.
The market breadth was extremely negative - out of 2,662 stocks traded, 2,263 declined, 359 advanced and 40 were unchanged today.
INDEX SHAKERS...
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Reliance Infrastructure slumped 9.7% to Rs 839, and Satyam plunged 9.5% to Rs 368.
Ranbaxy and DLF tumbled 7.5% each to Rs 419 and Rs 433, respectively.
Jaiprakash Associates shed 6.5% at Rs 147. ONGC dropped 6% to Rs 961.
TCS and Reliance Communications slipped 5.7% each to Rs 762 and Rs 369, respectively.
Tata Motors and Hindalco plunged over 5% each to Rs 391 and Rs 115, respectively.
Sterlite and Tata Steel shed 4.5% each at Rs 465 and Rs 500, respectively.
Infosys, Wipro and BHEL declined over 4% each to Rs 1,574, Rs 402 and Rs 1,628, respectively.
...AND THE MOVERS
Maruti rallied nearly 3% to Rs 723. HDFC advanced over 1% to Rs 2,204.
MOST ACTIVE COUNTERS
Reliance Capital topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 426.75 crore followed by Reliance (Rs 354.25 crore), Reliance Infrastructure (Rs 146.20 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 137.70 crore) and Larsen & Toubro (Rs 134.40 crore).
Reliance Natural Resources led the volume chart with trades of around 1.67 crore shares followed by IFCI (1.33 crore), K S Oils (84.85 lakh), Relaince Petroleum (81.45 lakh) and Chambal Fertilisers (75.50 lakh).