Sensex dives over 600 points: Rs 2.79L cr investor wealth lost; Berger Paints, TechM, EKI down up to 6%

Indian equity benchmarks fell sharply in late deals today as selloff intensified across all sectors. The BSE Sensex plunged over 600 points while the NSE barometer Nifty hit the sub-19,550 level. At 3:04 pm, the 30-pack Sensex was down 625 points or 0.95 per cent at 65,493. The NSE benchmark was down 197 points or 1 per cent at 19,519. Such was the fall in the domestic indices that around Rs 2.79 lakh crore of BSE market capitalisation (m-cap) was wiped out.

Broader markets also came under pressure as BSE mid-cap and small-cap indices turned into the red. Weakness in global equities markets on fears of higher interest rates and surging crude prices weighed on domestic investor sentiments. India VIX, fear index, spiked 11 per cent to 12.86-level.

Here's a look at today's market fall in numbers:

Rs 2.79 lakh crore investor wealth lost

Investor wealth, as suggested by the BSE m-cap, fell Rs 2.79 lakh crore to Rs 316.82 lakh crore compared with a valuation of Rs 319.61 lakh crore recorded in the previous session. Frontline stocks such as Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Infosys, ITC, Asian Paints, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and M&M contributed to the fall today.

21 stocks hit 52-week lows on BSE

As many as 21 stocks hit their 52-week lows today. BSE stocks such as 7NR Retail, Aanchal Ispat, AKI India, Atal Realtech, Bheema Cements, Croissance, Earum Pharmaceuticals, Future Lifestyle Fashions, GCM Securities and Gala Global Products hit their respective one-year low levels. That said, 196 stocks touched their one-year high levels today.

2,034 stocks in the red

Out of 3,761 stocks, 2,034 stocks were seen declining. 1,584 stocks were advancing, while 143 stocks remained unchanged.

Berger Paints, TechM & EKI down up to 6%

Shares of Berger Paints, Tech Mahindra, EKI, 63 Moons Technologies, Asian Paints, Voltamp Transformers, Apar Industries, LTIMindtree, Happiest Minds Technologies and JSW Energy fell up to 5.63 per cent.

Weakness in index heavyweights

For Sensex, the major culprits that dragged the index lower were Reliance, Infy, ITC, Asian Paints, TCS, HUL, Kotak Bank and M&M. RIL, Infosys and ITC alone contributed negatively to a 267-point decline.

On NSE, All 15 sub-indices were down. Nifty IT, Nifty FMCG, Nifty Consumer Durables, Nifty Metal and Nifty Auto fell sharply.

FII-DII data

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 354 crore of shares, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought Rs 386 crore shares during the previous session, provisional exchange data showed.

On the global front, Asian markets were last seen trading lower. Japan's Nikkei index fell 1.54 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng tanked 1.36 per cent.

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