Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) A key index of the Indian equities markets was ruling in the red Wednesday, as investors chose to book profits in metal, realty, infrastructure and banking stocks. It was ruling 359 points below the last closing figure, a little before noon.
Around 11.30 a.m., the 30-scrip index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened lower at 14,039.58 points, was at 13,810.58 points - 359.87 points or 2.54 percent lower than Tuesday’s closing figure.

Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was ruling in the red at 4,096.8 points, down by 2.51 percent.

Broader market indices came under greater selling pressure, with the BSE midcap index trading 3.2 percent lower and the BSE smallcap index moving down 3.23 percent.

Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, banking, realty and metal scrips were the hardest hit, while auto stocks were the only ones which saw some buying interest.

The market breadth was negative with 367 stocks advancing compared to 1,774 declining. Fifty-three remained unchanged.

Among the very few gainers on the Sensex at this time were ACC, up 2.49 percent at Rs.781.45; Grasim, up 1.55 percent at Rs.2,454; Tata Motors, up 1.48 percent at Rs.284; and Maruti Suzuki, up 0.65 percent at Rs.1,087.

The losers included Tata Steel, down 6.56 percent at Rs.372; Sterlite, down 6.46 percent at Rs.557.50; ICICI Bank, down 6.02 percent at Rs.653.15; and DLF, down 5.99 percent at Rs.289.65.

In other Asian markets, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average, a key index of the Tokyo stock exchange, closed 227.04 points down to end Wednesday’s trade at 9,420.75 points.

The Hang Seng, a primary index of the Hong Kong stock exchange, was ruling in the red at 17,560.97 points, down 301.30 points.