Sensex falls 1 percent; blue chips slide

Reuters Market Eye - The BSE Sensex and the broader Nifty were trading lower on Tuesday with blue chips such as L&T and Mahindra and Mahindra falling.

The 30-share Sensex was down 1.04 percent while the 50-share Nifty fell 0.98 percent as of 2:12 p.m.

Shares were subdued after a survey in China showed factory employment slumped to a 5-1/2-year low, offsetting benefits from the same survey showing China's factory sector beat expectations.

Markets were also cautious ahead of the expiry of monthly derivatives contracts on Thursday.

Shares in Larsen and Toubro were down 1.7 percent, Mahindra and Mahindra slipped 2.1 percent.

However, technology stocks gained.

 

Wipro gained 0.92 percent after falling 1.2 percent on Monday.

(Reporting by Indulal PM)