Earlier, the bourses opened positive on a sharp fall in Current Account Deficit (CAD), but soon drained the momentary firmness following volatility witnessing huge selling pressure amid late monsoon worries as well as caution over key macro data -- IIP and CPI -- to be be released tomorrow.
Sectorally, PSU banks fell 2.69 per cent, followed by realty (2.45 pc), auto (2.41 pc), bank (2.28 pc), energy (2.27 pc), financials (2.21 pc), infra (2.22 pc), IT (1.53 pc), pharma (1.47 pc) and metal (1.28 pc).
Elsewhere, Asian markets closed higher tracking overnight gains in the US markets.
The broader 50-share barometer opened higher at 8,157.30 and traded between 8,163.05 and 7,958.25 before finishing at 7,965.35, a fall of 159.10 points or 1.96 per cent.
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Stock-wise the major losers were Tata Power (5.21 pc), Idea (4.56 pc), Asian Paints (4.16 pc), Kotak Bank (4.02 pc), Bosch (3.84 pc), Tata Motors (3.67 pc), Yes Bank (3.46 pc), RIL (3.16 pc), Axis Bank (3.14 pc) and SBI (2.53 pc).
Meanwhile, foreign investors sold shares worth Rs 482.11 crore yesterday.
A total of 8,198 lakh shares changed hands in 68,96,028 trades and the total market capitalisation of the NSE stood at Rs 94,13,420.40 crore.