The key equity barometers were trading with steep losses in mid-afternoon trade. Metal shares witnessed some bit of profit taking after a three-day winning streak. At 14:23 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, dropped 934.04 points or 1.91% to 47,897.99. The Nifty 50 index tumbled 284.55 points or 1.95% to 14,333.30.
A spike in domestic coronavirus cases and localized lockdown being announced by various state governments dented investors sentiment.
In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index lost 1.77%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index declined 1.49%.
Sellers outnumbered buyers. On the BSE, 690 shares rose and 2206 shares fell. A total of 199 shares were unchanged.
Numbers to Track:
The domestic equity benchmarks ended with minor gains after a volatile day on Thursday. Metal stocks surged while banks and financials corrected. The Nifty closed below the 14,900 mark.
As per provisional closing data, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, gained 84.45 points or 0.17% to 49,746.21. The Nifty 50 index rallied 56.70 points or 0.38% to 14,875.75.
The broader market rallied. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.60%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.73%.
Buyers outnumbered sellers. On the BSE, 1873 shares rose and 1046 shares fell. A total of 166 shares were unchanged.
Investors risk appetite improved after the minutes of last month s meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve suggested that Fed officials were united on the need to see more progress on economic recovery before scaling back their bond-buying program.
The key equity indices further pared losses in mid-afternoon trade. Metal shares reversed early losses. At 14:26 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 829.91 points or 1.66% to 49,199.92. The Nifty 50 index tumbled 223.60 points or 1.50% to 14,643.75.
The undertone of the market was still weak as a spike in domestic coronavirus cases and fresh curbs imposed by the state government dented investors sentiment.
In broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index slipped 1.29% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index declined 1.04%.
The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 949 shares rose and 1920 shares fell. A total of 186 shares were unchanged.
US shares hit all-time highs after strong jobs data
The S&P 500 and the Dow hit record highs on Monday as investors cheered strong jobs data and looked for a report on the services sector with signals that 2021 could see the best annual economic growth in nearly four decades. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 303.10 points, or 0.91%, at 33,456.31, the S&P 500 was up 34.30 points, or 0.85%, at 4,054.17, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 110.71 points, or 0.82%, at 13,590.81.
European shares closed for Easter Monday
European markets were closed on account of Easter Monday. Futures tracking the domestically focused Russell 2000 jumped about 1.5% as Friday s report showed US nonfarm payrolls surged by 916,000 jobs in March, well above 647,000 forecast by a Reuters poll of economists.
Shares of Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) rose 10 per cent to Rs 193.70 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Thursday after the company said it has recorded the highest ever provisional sales of Rs 810 crore for the financial year 2020-21 (FY21). The state-owned mining company had posted sales worth Rs 712.88 crore for FY 2019-20 (FY20). For the January-March quarter (Q4FY21), the company reported a 67 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in provisional sales at Rs 346 crore against Rs 207 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. For the first nine months (April-December) of FY21, MIDHANI had posted an 8 per cent YoY decline in sales at Rs 464 crore from Rs 506 crore during the same period of the previous fiscal.