Sensex ends 129 points down, SBI, Maruti drag

Sensex ends 129 points down, SBI, Maruti drag

Mumbai, July 26: A benchmark index for Indian equities on Monday slipped further amid heavy selling in the last session of trade to close 129 points lower. Heavyweights State Bank of India and Maruti Suzuki dragged the index down.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,056.24 points, closed at 18,020.05 points, 110.93 points or 0.61 percent down from its previous close at 18,130.98 points. At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 5,418.6 points, down 0.56 percent from its previous close at 5,449.1 points. Broader markets indices also closed in the red, with the BSE midcap index ending 0.96 per cent lower and the BSE smallcap index 0.81 per cent down. Auto, realty and banking stocks saw bulk of the selling while telecom and IT stocks gained. The market breadth was negative, with 1,090 scrips advancing, compared to 1,824 stocks declining, and 94 remaining unchanged.