Sensex Slumps 554 Points, Nifty Below 18,150; Auto, Metal, IT Stocks Top Drags

Midcap and smallcap shares finished on a weak note as Nifty Midcap 100 index fell 2.06 per cent and Nifty Smallcap 100 index slipped 2.45 per cent

New Delhi: The key Indian equity benchmarks plunged on Tuesday amid an across-the-board sell-off led by automobile, metal, and IT stocks.

The BSE Sensex plunged by 554.05 points on Tuesday, tracking deep losses in realty, auto and metal stocks amid widespread selling pressure in global markets.

The 30-share index slumped by 554.05 points or 0.90 per cent to end at 60,754.86. The broader NSE Nifty fell by 195.05 points or 1.07 per cent to 18,113.05. 

Midcap and smallcap shares finished on a weak note as Nifty Midcap 100 index fell 2.06 per cent and Nifty Smallcap 100 index slipped 2.45 per cent.

All the 15 sector gauges, compiled by the NSE, settled in red. Nifty Auto underperformed the index by diving as much as 2.38 per cent. Sub-indices Nifty Metal and Nifty IT also witnessed major selling pressure.

Maruti was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 4 per cent, followed by Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank, and L&T.

Sectorally, Basic Materials, Telecom, Auto, Realty and Metal indices fell up to 2.76 per cent.

On the other hand, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank Dr Reddy's, Titan, and Nestle India were the gainers.

The overall market breadth stood weak as 1,157 stocks advanced while 2,273 declined on the BSE.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul ended with losses, while Shanghai was positive. Stock exchanges in Europe were witnessing heavy selling pressure in mid-session deals.

Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude surged 1.13 per cent to $87.46 per barrel.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital market, as they sold shares worth Rs 855.47 crore on Monday, according to stock exchange data.