New Delhi, 27 March (H.S.):

Indian stock markets crashed hard on Friday battered by weak global cues and uncertainty from the West Asia crisis shaking investor confidence. Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty stayed in the red all session closing down 2.25% and 2.09% respectively.

Every sectoral index ended lower with PSU banks and realty seeing the heaviest selling. PSU bank index and realty index tumbled over 3% while consumer durables automobiles capital goods and private banks fell around 2%. IT FMCG healthcare metals oil & gas PSE and tech indices also closed in red.

The sell-off hit not just large caps but the entire market with broad selling. Nifty midcap index dropped 2.23% and smallcap shed 1.74%.

Market wealth evaporated nearly 9 lakh crore rupees. BSE listed firms market cap fell to 422.12 lakh crore provisional from 431.01 lakh crore Wednesday – a loss of 8.89 lakh crore.

BSE saw active trading in 4501 shares: 822 advanced 3542 declined 137 unchanged. NSE had 3042 active: 374 up 2668 down. Sensex 30 stocks: 3 gained 27 lost. Nifty 50: 6 up 44 down.

Sensex opened weak at 74883.79 down 389.66 points briefly recovering to 74904.91 on buying support. Selling pressure mounted plunging it to 73534.41 down 1739.04 points near close before symbolic rebound to close at 73583.22 down 1690.23 points.

Nifty opened at 23173.55 down 132.90 points touched 23186.10 then slid on selling hitting 22804.55 down 501.90 before settling at 22819.60 off 486.85 points.

Top gainers ONGC 4.35% Wipro 1.35% TCS 0.52% Bharti Airtel 0.49% Coal India 0.30%. Top losers Shriram Finance 5.46% TMPV 4.64% Reliance Industries 4.60% Interglobe Aviation 4.55% Bajaj Finance 4.41%.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar