Indian benchmark indices continued to trade lower during the noon trading session weighed down by heavy selling in HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and other banking stocks, while a sharp rise in crude oil prices amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran also weighed investor sentiment.
At 12:30 hours, the 30-share benchmark index was trading at 77512.69 down by -638.76 points or by -0.82 % and then NSE Nifty was at 24196 down by -138.3 points or by -0.57 %.
Sensex touched intraday high of 78151.45 and intraday low of 77444.79 The NSE Nifty touched intraday high of 24262.35 and intraday low of 24149.9
The top gainers of the BSE Sensex pack were Trent Ltd. (Rs. 2908.95,+2.37%), Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Rs. 1933.50,+1.30%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Rs. 1953.95,+1.08%), NTPC Ltd. (Rs. 345.25,+1.01%), Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (Rs. 286.45,+0.99%), among others.
The top losers of the BSE Sensex pack were Axis Bank Ltd. (Rs. 1256.70,-5.44%), HDFC Bank Ltd. (Rs. 778.85,-4.98%), Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (Rs. 379.55,-2.64%), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (Rs. 13518.00,-2.10%), Infosys Ltd. (Rs. 1085.50,-1.04%), among others.
HCS index was at 50475.94 up by 685.62 points or by 1.38%. Thyrocare Technologies Ltd. (Rs. 556.50,+6.98%), RPG Life Sciences Ltd. (Rs. 3021.00,+6.18%), Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Rs. 4950.00,+3.85%), Rubicon Research Ltd. (Rs. 1494.20,+3.75%), Neuland Laboratories Ltd. (Rs. 19092.00,+3.63%),.
Bankex index was at 65377.29 down by -817.3 points or by -1.23%. Axis Bank Ltd. (Rs. 1256.70,-5.44%), HDFC Bank Ltd. (Rs. 778.85,-4.98%), Au Small Finance Bank Ltd. (Rs. 996.75,-3.22%), YES Bank Ltd. (Rs. 22.92,-3.00%), Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (Rs. 379.55,-2.64%),.
The Market breadth, indicating the overall strength of the market, was weak. On BSE out of total shares traded 4448 , shares advanced were 2007 while 2147 shares declined and 294 were unchanged.