New Delhi: Domestic stock markets fell on Thursday due to disappointing retail inflation and recent industrial production figures and a sharp rise in the number of people infected with coronavirus in China.
BSE’s 30-share sensitive index Sensex fell 106.11 points, or 0.26 percent, to 41,459.79 points. The Sensex fluctuated between a high of 41,709.30 points and a low of 41,338.31 points. Similarly, the NSE Nifty fell 26.55 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 12,174.65 points.
IndusInd Bank, Tata Steel, ONGC, ICICI Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the biggest losers among the Sensex companies. State Bank of India, Titan, Infosys, Sun Pharma and Tech Mahindra were the fastest. 16 of the 30 Sensex companies fell.
Among the BSE groups, banks, finance and utilities declined, while consumer durables, information technology and technology were on the rise. BSE’s Smallcap and Midcap outperformed the main indices. According to the data released by the government on Wednesday, industrial production declined by 0.3 percent in December.
Retail inflation rose to a 68-month high of 7.59 percent in January as food prices rose. Asian markets closed in decline as China increased the number of people infected with coronaviruses. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency has said that global crude oil demand is going to decline for the first time in a quarter due to the infection of coronavirus.
