Sensex ends down 231pts, Hindalco zooms 8%

Mirroring weakness in the global markets, the Sensex opened with a negative gap of 180 points at 19,110, and slipped below the 19,000-mark in early deals.

Fresh buying at lower levels saw the index recover some ground and touch a high of 19,210. Persistent weakness in select counters - ONGC, Bharti Airtel and banking stocks - saw the index slip back below the 19,000-mark again to a low of 18,917. The index finally closed with a loss of 231 points at 19,059.

The Sensex thus ended Samvat 2063 with a gain of 50% (6,350 points).

The BSE Bankex dropped 2.5% to 10,353. The Metal and the Realty indices slipped around 2% each to 17,050 and 10,078, respectively.

The market breadth was negative - out 2,789 stocks traded, 1,645 declined, 1,074 advanced and 70 were unchanged.

INDEX SHAKERS...

ONGC slumped 4% to Rs 1,237. SBI and HDFC Bank plunged 3.7% each to Rs 2,185 and Rs 1,559, respectively.

Reliance Communications and ICICI Bank tumbled 3% each to Rs 705 and Rs 1,168, respectively.

Tata Motors dropped over 2% to Rs 706. Grasim, Bharti Airtel and Tata Steel shed 1.8% each at Rs 3,546, Rs 884 and Rs 845, respectively.

Infosys, Wipro and Cipla slipped around 1.5% each to Rs 1,716, Rs 470 and Rs 177, respectively.

Mahindra & Mahindra and BHEL were down 1% each at Rs 751 and Rs 2,794, respectively.

...AND THE MOVERS

Hindalco zoomed 8% to Rs 204. ACC gained nearly 3% to Rs 1,057.

Reliance Energy surged 1.7% to Rs 1,851. Hindustan Unilever and Ranbaxy were up almost 1% each at Rs 194 and Rs 431, respectively.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

Reliance Natural Resources topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 539.70 crore followed by Reliance Petroleum (Rs 450 crore), Reliance Energy (Rs 413.80 crore), Reliance Capital (Rs 358.40 crore) and Reliance (Rs 309.30 crore).

Reliance Natural Resources led the volume chart with trades of around 3.59 crore shares followed by Ispat Industries (2.83 crore), Reliance Petroleum (2.07 crore), IFCI (1.12 crore) and Nocil (87.28 lakh).