The Sensex opened a tad (11 points) lower at 8,944, and soon extended losses on the back of selling pressure in early trades. The index dropped to a low of 8,729 - down 226 points from the previous close.
Renewed buying interest in banking stocks helped the index recoup losses in the second half of the trading day. The Sensex finally ended with a loss of 63 points at 8,892. The index, however, was up 49 points for the week.
The BSE Realty index shed 2.3% at 1,413. The Oil & Gas and TECk indices dropped around 1.5% each to 6,064 and 1,736, respectively. The Bankex, however, moved up 1.3% to 4,240.
The market breadth was fairly negative - out of 2,466 stocks traded, 1,320 declined and 1,043 advanced today.
INDEX MOVERS...
Tata Steel surged 5.6% to Rs 172. HDFC rallied nearly 5% to Rs 1,269.
HDFC Bank advanced nearly 1.5% to Rs 885, and ICICI Bank added 1% to Rs 328.
...AND THE SHAKERS
Grasim slumped 6% to Rs 1,372. Ranbaxy tumbled nearly 5% to Rs 162.
Wipro plunged 5% to Rs 207. Reliance Infrastructure shed 3.7% at Rs 491.
ACC, Mahindra & Mahindra and ONGC dropped around 3.5% each to Rs 540, Rs 310 and Rs 691, respectively.
Sterlite slipped over 3% to Rs 245. Maruti declined 2.7% to Rs 678.
Bharti Airtel and Jaiprakash Associates dropped 2.3% each to Rs 637 and Rs 66, respectively.
Reliance Communications, DLF and Reliance were down around 2% each at Rs 155, Rs 152 and Rs 1,265, respectively.
VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS
HDFC topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 232 crore followed by Educomp Solutions (Rs 199.45 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 179.45 crore), Reliance (Rs 176.20 crore) and United Spirits (Rs 125.55 crore).
Satyam led the volume chart with trades of around 1.33 crore shares followed by GVK Power (1.15 crore), United Breweries (1.08 crore), Cals Refineries (85.39 lakh) and Tata Steel (73.36 lakh).
