Sensex slips 150 points; auto, capital goods lose

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed in the negative territory for the second consecutive session Friday as automobile, capital goods and information technology (IT) stocks declined.

Markets were cautious ahead of the five-week general election polling exercise due to begin April 7, while profit booking in blue chip stocks pulled the market down from its several sessions of record highs touched recently.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 22,522.46 points, closed at 22,359.50 points -- down 149.57 points or 0.66 percent from its previous day's close at 22,509.07 points. It touched a high of 22,525.21 points and a low of 22,339.40 intra-day. 

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) too closed in negative territory. It closed at 6,694.35 points -- down 41.75 points or 0.62 percent.In Friday's trade, stocks like automobile, capital goods, IT, oil and gas technology, entertainment and media (TECk) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) came under sustained selling pressure. However, metal and consumer durables stocks rose.

The S&P BSE automobile index lost 134.54 points, capital goods index was down 89.27 points, IT index was lower by 85.52 points, followed by oil and gas index which edged lower by 48.09 points, TECk index fell 45.95 points and FMCG index declined by 39.41 points.  However, the metal index rose by 25.29 points, followed by consumer durables index -- up 14.03 points. 

The major Sensex gainers were: Cipla, up 1.98 percent at Rs.404.10; Tata Steel, up 0.84 percent at Rs.401.90; State Bank of India (SBI), up 0.47 percent at Rs.1,904.25; Hindalco Inds, up 0.44 percent at Rs.137.65; and Coal India, up 0.41 percent at Rs.282.

The main losers were: BHEl, down 1.95 percent at Rs.183.95; NTPC, down 1.95 percent at Rs.120.55; Bharti Airtel, down 1.74 points at Rs.316.25; Tata Motors, down 1.50 points at Rs.405.10; and Gail India, down 1.48 percent at Rs.362.60.

Among the Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.05 percent down and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 0.24 percent lower. However, China's Shanghai Composite Index gained by 0.74 percent. In Europe, london's FTSE 100 was trading 0.38 percent higher at the closing bell here -- so was Germany's DAX Index, up 0.44 percent, while the French CAC 40 Index rose by 0.28 percent.