Sensex down 174pts; BHEL gains 5%

The Sensex is now down 174 points at 15,582.

The NSE Nifty is down 51 points at 4,710.

Wipro has slumped nearly 6% to Rs 413. Larsen & Toubro has plunged nearly 5% to Rs 2,589.

Jaiprakash (JP) Associates has tumbled over 4% to Rs 222, and Tata Steel has shed 3% at Rs 659.

Grasim and Hindustan Unilever have slipped around 2.5% each to Rs 2,558 and Rs 247, respectively.

NTPC has slipped over 2% to Rs 187. Infosys, Ranbaxy and Hindalco have declined nearly 2% each to Rs 1,465, Rs 475 and Rs 170, respectively.

BHEL has surged nearly 5% to Rs 1,715.

Out of 2,582 stocks traded so far, 1,286 have advanced, 1,237 have declined and the rest are unchanged.