Sensex Slumps Over 550 Points, Nifty Ends At 9,814 Dragged By Banks

The S&P BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 indexes fell sharply in trade on Monday mirroring losses in other global equity markets. Rise in domestic coronavirus cases and worries over a second wave of infections in China sapped investors' appetite for riskier assets. 

As of Monday, COVID-19 cases in India surged above 3,32,400 and deaths were more than 9,500. India is the fourth-worst affected country in the world. The Sensex fell as much as 857 points and Nifty touched an intraday low of 9,726.35 deagged by selling pressure in banking and financial services shares.

The Sensex ended 552 points or 1.63 per cent lower at 33,228.80 and Nifty 50 index fell 159 points or 1.6 per cent to close at 9,813.70.

European markets were trading with deep cuts as France's CAC40 fell 1.74 per cent, Germany's DAX dropped 1.7 per cent and England's FTSE100 index slumped 1.5 per cent.

Back home, India recorded 11,502 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of cases to 3,32,424, according to data from the Union Health Ministry till Monday morning. The death count rose to 9,520 with 325 fatalities in the last one day.

Eight of 11 sector gauges compiled by the National Stock Exchange ended lower led by the Nifty Private Bank index's nearly 4 per cent fall. Nifty Bank, Financial Services, Realty, Auto, FMCG and Metal indexes also fell between 1.5-3.6 per cent each.

On the other hand, Nifty PSU Bank index was top gainer, up 1.4 per cent.

Mid- and small-cap shares ended mixed as Nifty Midcap 100 index dropped 1.2 per cent while Nifty Smallcap 100 index rose 0.4 per cent.

IndusInd Bank was top Nifty loser, the stock fell 7.2 per cent to Rs 490. Axis Bank, Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, NTPC, Tata Steel, BPCL, Bajaj Finserv, ITC, HDFC Bank and Titan also fell between 3-4.5 per cent each.

On the flipside, GAIL India, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma and Mahindra & Mahindra were among the notable gainers.