BSE Sensex opens low on profit booking by local operators

Mumbai, June 13 (UNI) The BSE Sensex is still to come to terms with the comprehensive global sell-off that has the market in a bear-hug, after it opened with a steep downward gap of 116 points, at 9,360.06.

It was down by 384 points, at 9,092, with all the 30 Sensex stocks trading in red, brokers said.

The Sensex has swung 280 points till now.

HDFC slumped 7.75 per cent (pc) to Rs 1,038 on 2.41 lakh shares. A block deal of two lakh shares was struck on the counter at Rs 1,050 at 10:43 hour.

Tata Steel lost 5.5 pc to Rs 403. As many as 3.8 lakh shares changed hands in the counter on BSE.

ICICI Bank lost 5.6 pc to Rs 448 and HDFC Bank lost 6.3 pc to Rs 652, and SBI lost 2.5 pc to Rs 727.

Heavyweight RIL shed 4.80 pc to Rs 860.65. As many as 10.24 lakh shares changed hands in the counter on BSE.

Infosys lost 3.60 pc to Rs 2,675. Infosys on Monday set 14 July 2006 as a record date for bonus issue.

Gujarat Ambuja Cements slipped four pc to Rs 86.25 on high volume of 24.91 lakh shares.

Recently listed Unity Infrastructure slumped 4.50 pc to Rs 451 on 5.73 lakh shares while Deccan Aviation lost eight pc to Rs 91.25 on 6.25 lakh shares.

Apollo Hospitals rose 0.70 pc, to Rs 369.30 on flat Q4 results.

The company has posted a flat net profit at Rs 12.4 crore in Q4 March 2006 against that of the same amount in Q4 March 2005. Total income has increased from Rs 156.8 crore to Rs 195.1 crore. The net profit for the year ended March 2006 rose 22.35 pc, to Rs 60.2 crore as compared to Rs 49.2 crore in FY05. Total income has increased from Rs 595.6 crore, to Rs 719 crore.

Asian stock markets were sharply lower on Tuesday following a sell-off on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve officials kept up their tough talk on inflation on Monday, bolstering expectations for another rate rise at the Fed's meeting later this month, brokers added.

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