The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Thursday fell by over 63 points to 16,849.59 in opening trade on fresh capital outflows by foreign funds, triggered by weak global markets.
Profit-taking by retail investors in some stocks also put pressure on the stock prices.
The Sensex, which gained 35.61 points in yesterday’s choppy trade, moved down by 63.18 points, or 0.37 per cent to 16,849.59 in opening trade.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also drifted by 21.65 points, or 0.42 per cent to 5,020.40.
Brokers said fresh selling by funds and retail investors following overnight losses on the US market and weak opening on the other Asian bourses despite the Federal Reserve’s confidence about the US economy mainly dampened the trading sentiments here.
Besides, profit booking by retail investors in select counters at prevailing prices, also attributed to fall in stock prices, they said.
Major losers, which dragged the Sensex down were Reliance that fell by 0.47 per cent to Rs 1,042, State Bank of India by 0.43 per cent to Rs 2,143.45, ICICI Bank by 0.25 per cent to Rs 821.20, HDFC Bank by 1.15 per cent to Rs 1,673, HDFC Ltd by 1.14 per cent to Rs 2,579 DLF Ltd 1.32 per cent to Rs 364.40 and Tata Power by 0.73 per cent to Rs 1,315.50.
