Sensex down 557pts; NTPC tumbles 7%

The Sensex is now down 557 points at 18,723.

NTPC has tumbled 6.7% to Rs 243. ICICI Bank has slumped 6.4% to Rs 1,093.

BHEL has plunged 5.5% to Rs 2,509. Larsen & Toubro has dropped 5% to Rs 4,122, and Maruti has shed 4.6% at Rs 963.

Tata Steel, ITC and Reliance Energy have slipped over 4% each to Rs 823, Rs 189 and Rs 1,724, respectively.

DLF and SBI have declined nearly 4% each to Rs 873 and Rs 2,195, respectively.

HDFC Bank and Ranbaxy have shed 3.5% each at Rs 1,576 and Rs 400, respectively.

Hindalco and Mahindra & Mahindra are down 3% each at Rs 188 and Rs 709, respectively.

Out of 2,811 stocks traded so far, 1,937 have declined, 826 have advanced and 48 are unchanged.