Sensex closes 60 points down

Mumbai, June 22 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Friday closed 60 points down at 16,972 points after paring early losses in late trade.

Amid volatile trade, the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,882.74 points, closed at 16,972.51 points, down 0.35 percent or 60.05 points from its previous close of 17,032.56 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 17,016.06 points and a low of 16,807.80 in intra-day trade. The midcap index of the BSE rose 7.73 points, while smallcap index closed 2.42 points high.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was down 0.37 percent at 5,146.05 points.

The metal index was down by 155.75 percent followed by capital goods index, down 61.87 percent.

Hindalco Inds was the top loser at the Sensex, down 3.34 percent at Rs.117.25. Other main losers were Tata Steel, down 2.70 percent at Rs.418.65; Jindal Steel, down 1.63 percent at Rs.432; Coal India, down 1.24 percent at Rs.337.60; HDFC, down 1.19 percent at Rs.640; and Sun Pharma, down 1.15 percent at Rs.608.

Major Sensex gainers were ONGC, up 1.47 percent at Rs.279.40; Cipla, up 1.26 percent at Rs.313.70; Maruti Suzuki, up one percent at Rs.1,101.40; TCS, up 0.73 percent at Rs.1,233.70; and Hero MotoCorp, up 0.53 percent at Rs.2,084.50.

The markets had opened weak. The indices were in the red mostly throughout the day, as the rupee hit a record low for the second consecutive day Friday. But they recovered in afternoon trade as oil prices fell and closed marginally in the red.

At the closing bell here, European markets were trading lower. France's CAC was 0.43 percent down, while Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE 100 were trading 0.67 percent and 0.77 percent lower respectively.

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