Sensex down 718pts; Hindalco slumps 9%

The Sensex continues to exhibit weakness and is now down 718 points at 15,410.

The NSE Nifty is down 236 points at 4,636.

Asian markets closed - Shanghai Composite, Hang Seng, Nikkei, Taiwan, Straits Times and Seoul Composite - ended on a weak note down 2-5% each.

The European markets, too, have opened on a weak note - FTSE 100, CAC 40 and DAX - are down around 2.5% each.

Hindalco has slumped 9.5% to Rs 174. 1,225. Reliance Energy has plunged 7.8% to Rs 1,225.

Reliance Communications, BHEL and DLF have tumbled around 7% each to Rs 501, Rs 1,876 and Rs 664, respectively.

Wipro and Tata Steel have dropped 6% each to Rs 367 and Rs 720, respectively. NTPC has shed 5.7% at Rs 184.

ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Reliance and SBI have declined over 5% each to Rs 833, Rs 1,296, Rs 2,254 and Rs 1,717, respectively.

Out of 2,627 stocks traded so far, 2,258 have declined, 334 have advanced and 35 are unchanged.