The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 1,312.91 points or 1.70% to close at 76,015.28. The index fell 1,370.79 points, or 1.77%, to 75,957.40 during intraday trading.
NSE Nifty 50 also closed in the red, falling 360.30 points or 1.49% at 23,815.85. In the last three trading sessions since Thursday, the Nifty has fallen 515 points or more than 2%, while the Sensex has fallen nearly 1,950 points, translating into a decline of about 2.5%.
According to market experts, market sentiment weakened after US President Donald Trump reportedly termed Iran’s response to the latest peace proposal as “completely unacceptable” as hopes for an immediate diplomatic solution diminished. Analysts also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for austerity measures has heightened investor concerns about foreign exchange reserves, rising fuel costs and the broader consumption outlook.
Among Sensex stocks, Titan emerged as the worst performer, falling nearly 7%. Other major losers included InterGlobe Aviation, State Bank of India, Bharti Airtel, Eternal and Reliance Industries.
On the gain side, Sun Pharma, Hindustan Unilever, Adani Ports, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank ended with gains.
Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 2.23% higher at US$103.5 per barrel.
