Mumbai, Oct 22 (IANS) A key Indian equity index closed 197 points in the red Thursday as investors continued to sell stocks across the board.
The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened higher at 17,031.54 points, ended below the 17,000-mark at 16,812.14 points — 197.03 points or 1.16 percent down from Wednesday’s close at 17,009.17 points.

Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, ended in the negative at 4,995.8 points, down 1.34 percent.

Broader market indices crumbled under selling pressure as well, with the BSE midcap index ruling 1.79 percent lower and the BSE smallcap index down 1.7 percent.

The market breadth was negative, with 871 stocks advancing, 1,875 declining and 79 remaining unchanged.

Among the gainers around this time on the Sensex were Infosys, up 2.13 percent at Rs.2,211.50; ITC, up 1.58 percent at Rs.247.55; Hindustan Unilever, up 1.44 percent at Rs.278.05; and Bharti, up 1.2 percent at Rs.336.60.

Among the losers were Jaiprakash Associates, down 6.84 percent at Rs.238.20; DLF, down 4.93 percent at Rs.448.75; ICICI Bank, down 4.08 percent at Rs.891.05 and L&T, down 3.86 percent at Rs.1,608.50.

Profit-taking hit other Asian markets as well.

The Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed 66.22 points or 0.64 percent lower at 10,267.17 points.

The primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hang Seng, ended 107.59 points or 0.48 percent lower at 22,210.52 points.

At the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the composite index closed 0.62 percent down at 3,051.41 points.

The Kospi, benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, also shut shop in the red at 1,630.33 points, down 23.53 points or 1.42 percent.

Trading sentiment at European markets was bearish with the FTSE 100 index in Britain ruling 1.12 percent lower at 5,199.04 points and its French peer, the CAC 40, falling 1.47 percent at 3,816.1 points.

Germany’s DAX was ruling at 5,753.954 points, down 1.36 percent.