Indian markets fell over 0.3 per cent at the end of the session on Wednesday due to heavy selling in auto, metal, consumer durables and healthcare stocks amid firm European cues.
Domestic sentiment was dampened as the rupee hit an all-time low of 60.63 against the dollar due to increased demand for dollar from banks and importers and heavy capital outflows.
The 30-share BSE index Sensex ended down 77.03 points (0.41 per cent) at 18,552.12 and the 50-share NSE index Nifty finished lower by 20.4 points (0.36 per cent) at 5,588.70.
On the BSE, auto index was the worst-hit and was down 1.79 per cent, followed by metal 1.31 per cent, consumer durables 1.12 per cent and healthcare 1.12 per cent. On the other hand, IT index gained the most and was up 1.69 per cent, followed by power 0.93 per cent and FMCG 0.66 per cent.
Among 30-share Sensex, Hero MotoCorp, TCS, GAIL, NTPC and Wipro were the top five performers, while the top five laggards were Bharti Airtel, M&M, Tata Motors, Jindal Steel and Hindalco.
European stocks advanced for a second day as China’s cash crunch eased and German consumer confidence climbed. US index futures were little changed, while most Asian shares gained.
Stoxx 50 climbed 53.44 points or 2.1 per cent to 2,596.81, FTSE 100 rose 64.69 points or 1.06 per cent to 6,166.60 and DAX jumped 121.96 points or 1.56 per cent to 7,933.26.
In the Asian trade, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 135.33 points or 1.04 per cent to 12,834.01, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 482.83 points or 2.43 per cent to 20,338.55.
According to data, US durable goods bookings climbed in May and house prices, new-home sales and consumer confidence beat economists’ estimates.
Also, the People’s Bank of China has said that it will use tools to ensure money market stability and ease the cash crunch, after the benchmark swap rate reached a record high of 5.06 per cent on June 20.