Sensex opens down by 74 pts to 8,840.53

Mumbai, Nov 24 (UNI) The benchmark 30-scrips Sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today opened down by 74.68 points at 8,840.53, as compared to its previous close of 8,915.21, on sustained heavy selling pressure from Foreign Institutional Investors and others.

However, Nifty index of National Stock Exchange (NSE) resumed flat at 2,690.85 points.

The Sensex recorded the day's high at 9,017.64 and low at 8,708.85. It was trading at 9,017.64.

Meanwhile, the Nifty recorded the high at 2,734.75 and low at 2,641.65 in intra-day trade. Currently, it was trading at 2,733.90.

Global cues were mixed. Volatility was high in the opening session. Fears of the troubled US banking giant Citigroup resorting to fire sale of its India portfolio and subdued Asian markets triggered a lower start.

Asian markets were trading lower today, led by a sharp slide in financial counters, as the fate of global banking giant Citigroup remains unclear. Key benchmark indices in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan were down by between 1.01 pc and 2.10 pc.

Sterlite Industries, which was the top loser among the Sensex pack, lost 2.45 pc to Rs 213.40. Among other heavywight losers were Reliance Infrastructure (down by 2.10 pc to Rs 476), DLF (down by 2.04 pc to Rs 194.15), HDFC Bank (down 1.37 pc to Rs 845) and ICICI Bank lost 0.92 pc to Rs 332.45.

Among the heavyweight gainers were Wipro (up by 0.26 pc to Rs 230), Infosys (up by 0.15 pc to Rs 1186.25), Satyam Computer Services (up by one pc to Rs 243), Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) (up by 1.77 pc to Rs 1,424), State Bank of India (up by 1.26 pc to Rs 1,198.50), Jaiprakash Associates (up by 2.36 pc to Rs 59.60) and Bhel (up by 1.96 pc to Rs 1,306).

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