Equity indices close in red, auto and financials dip
Feb 18, 2021
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Feb 18 : Equity benchmark indices edged lower on Thursday with traders booking profit in auto, private banks and financial stocks.
The BSE S&P Sensex closed 379 points or 0.73 per cent down at 51,325 while the Nifty 50 dipped by 90 points or 0.59 per cent to 15,119.
Most sectoral indices at the National Stock Exchange were in the negative terrain with Nifty financial service down by 1.5 per cent, private bank by 1.1 per cent and auto by 1.3 per cent. But Nifty PSU bank moved up by 5.6 per cent, metal by 1.3 per cent and IT by 1.2 per cent.
Among stocks, Kotak Mahindra Bank lost by 2.2 per cent to Rs 1,946 per share while HDFC Bank was down by 2.1 per cent and ICICI Bank by 2 per cent.
Bajaj Finance slipped by 2.5 per cent, home loan lender HDFC by 2 per cent, Mahindra & Mahindra by 2.2 per cent and Titan by 1.8 per cent.
However, energy majors gained with ONGC up by 7.6 per cent to Rs 110 per share. GAIL too was up by 7 per cent, IndianOil Corporation by 4.2 per cent, Bharat Petroleum Corporation by 4.6 per cent, Coal India by 3.4 per cent and NTPC by 4 per cent.
Meanwhile, Asian stocks fell as investors locked in profits on sectors that have outperformed recently in a sign of growing caution about the recent rally in global equities.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan fell by 0.42 per cent. Chinese markets dipped on their first day of trade after the Lunar New Year break.
Japan's Nikkei slipped by 0.19 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng by 1.58 per cent. South Korea's Kospi was down by 1.5 per cent.
