Sensex Ends 372 pts Lower, Nifty Below 16,000; IndusInd Tanks 3%

The domestic markets gave up their early gains to close near the day’s low on Wednesday as investors turned cautious ahead of the key US retail inflation data due later tonight. At close, the Sensex was down 372.46 points or 0.69 per cent at 53,514.15, and the Nifty was down 91.60 points or 0.57 per cent at 15,966.70.

Top Gainers & Losers 

IndusInd Bank, HDFC, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries were among the top Nifty losers, while gainers were Divis Labs, JSW Steel, HUL, Cipla and Asian Paints.

Among sectors, FMCG, metal and pharma indices ended with nearly a per cent gain, while oil & gas and power index down 1 per cent each.

BSE midcap index rose 0.32 per cent, while smallcap index ended flat.

Among other stocks, CARE Ratings soared 8 per cent after the company said it will consider a plan for share buyback on July 20.

Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services, said: “Strong domestic macro numbers and a fall in crude prices lifted Indian indices to open in positive territory while the gains were restrained by Europe’s negative market trend. In line with expectations, the Indian CPI numbers eased marginally to 7.01 per cent. Global markets were in a bear grip ahead of the release of the US inflation data which is expected to touch fresh highs of 8.8 per cent owing to surge in gasoline and food costs”