DOWN AGAIN: Sensex sheds 267pts

Following weakness in the global markets, the Sensex opened marginally lower at 10,336. However, bears got the upper hand in early deals and the index drifted lower for the major part of the day.

Heavy selling across the market, barring pharma scrips, saw the index drop to a low of 10,035 - down 318 points from its previous close. Late buying in select stocks helped the index erase some loss, and finish with a drop of 267 points at 10,086.

The BSE FMCG index shed 3.6% to 1850. The Metal, Teck and Oil & Gas indices dropped 2.5% each to 7593, 2461 and 4860, respectively.

The market breadth was negative - out of 2,468 stocks traded, 1,849 declined, 556 advanced and 63 were unchanged today.

INDEX MOVERS & SHAKERS

Larsen & Toubro plunged over 5% to Rs 2,022. Wipro and Grasim were down nearly 5% each at Rs 448 and Rs 1,883, respectively.

ITC and Reliance Communications shed 4.5% each to Rs 167 and Rs 238, respectively.

Hindalco and NTPC slipped over 4% each to Rs 157 and Rs 109, respectively. Gujarat Ambuja dropped 3.7% to Rs 100.

HLL slipped over 3% to Rs 224. ONGC, Reliance and Infosys declined nearly 3% each to Rs 1,050, Rs 968 and Rs 1,604, respectively.

Cipla and Ranbaxy were up 1% each at Rs 220 and Rs 354, respectively.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

Reliance topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 310 crore followed by Satyam (Rs 208 crore), Tata Steel (Rs 155 crore), Sterlite (Rs 83.54 crore) and Reliance Capital (Rs 76.35 crore).

G V Films led the volume chart with trades of around 58 lakh shares followed by Tata Steel (32.38 lakh), Reliance (32 lakh), Satyam (30 lakh) and Polaris (27.15 lakh).