Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
Indian benchmark equity indices ended lower on Monday, led by sharp losses in heavyweight banking stocks amid concerns over margins and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.
The BSE Sensex declined 442.93 points (0.57%) to close at 77,708.52. During the session, the 30-share index plunged as much as 783.16 points (1%) to an intraday low of 77,368.29.
The NSE Nifty 50 also finished in the red, slipping 95.80 points (0.39%) to settle at 24,238.50.
Among Sensex constituents, Axis Bank emerged as the biggest loser, falling 5.48% after its quarterly earnings announced over the weekend disappointed investors. HDFC Bank shares also tumbled 5.12%, dragging the broader market lower.
Other major laggards included Maruti Suzuki, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Mahindra & Mahindra, and Bharat Electronics.
On the positive side, Trent, Power Grid Corporation, NTPC, and Bharti Airtel ended the session with gains.
Across Asia, China's Shanghai SSE Composite and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed higher, while South Korea's Kospi slumped 4.46%. Japanese markets remained shut due to a public holiday. Most European markets traded in positive territory, while US markets had ended lower on Friday.
