Sensex sheds 77pts

The Sensex has slipped to a low of 10,040, and is now down 77 points at 10,047.

Ranbaxy has rallied nearly 2% to Rs 440. Wipro is up 1.7% at Rs 498 and Bajaj Auto has gained 1.2% at Rs 2,402.

Grasim and Larsen & Toubro have shed 2.7% each to Rs 1,652 and Rs 2,282, respectively.

HLL (Rs 233), ITC (Rs 163) and Hindalco (Rs 157) continue to languish with a loss of 2% each.

Tata Motors, Hero Honda, HDFC, Cipla, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank have declined 1-2% each.

The market breadth continues to remain negative - out of 2,517 stocks traded so far, 1,685 have declined, 767 have advanced and 65 are unchanged.

Jindal Drilling has soared over 14% to Rs 249. Saint Gobain, Adlabs, Essar Shipping, Nectar Life, Kothari Products, Jindal Steel, FACT, Jindal Saw, Syngenta, Finolex and Zee have posted smart gains.

Sree Sakthi has slumped 8.5% to Rs 26.70. McLeod Russel, Williamson Tea, Harrison Malyalam, Wartsila, Wyeth, Novartis, Bank of India, Kochi Refineries, Hexaware and Crompton Greaves are the other prominent losers.