17:16
Benchmark Sensex tanked 778 points while the broader stock index Nifty closed at a five-month low on Tuesday amid surging oil prices, geopolitical tensions and weak trends in global markets.
The 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 777.94 points, or 1.04 per cent, to settle at a three-month low of 74,003.82, dragged by losses in blue-chip banking, auto and oil & gas shares. The index opened higher but lost steam in late-morning deals as selling gathered pace. The barometer later tanked 787.73 points, or 1.05 per cent, to a day's low of 73,994.03.
The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 279.50 points, or 1.19 per cent, to end at 23,118.60, the lowest closing level since April 6.
Among the 30 Sensex firms, Bharat Electronics tumbled 6 per cent. InterGlobe Aviation, Titan, Bajaj Finserv, Adani Ports, Mahindra & Mahindra and State Bank of India were also among the laggards.
HCL Tech jumped 3.98 per cent, Infosys climbed 3.64 per cent, Tech Mahindra was up 2.31 per cent, and Tata Consultancy Services (2.18 per cent) and HDFC Bank (1.27 per cent) also rose. -- PTI
