Sensex falls over 100 points on weak global cues

Mumbai: After starting on a positive note, the benchmark BSE Sensex fell over 100 points today on weak global cues as investors eyed the outcome of US-China trade talks, ahead of the US jobs report.

The 30-share index, after opening 103.41 points higher, turned negative on profit-booking to quote 118.75 points, or 0.34 per cent, lower at 34,984.39.

The gauge had lost 73.28 points in the previous session.

The 50-share NSE Nifty also turned negative and shed 33.06 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 10,646.05 after a higher opening at 10,700.45.

Top laggards were Asian Paints, Infosys, Wipro, Sun Pharma, Coal India, Bajaj Auto, RIL, NTPC, Axis Bank, Maruti Suzuki, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, Tata Steel and HDFC, falling up to 2 per cent.

Top gainers included Bharti Airtel, Adani Ports, HUL, ONGC, IndusInd Bank, Dr Reddy's, HDFC Bank, Yes Bank, SBI, TCS and L&T, rising up to 2.45 per



cent.

Brokers said, a weak trend in other Asian bourses as investors watched the outcome of trade talks between the US and China, ahead of the April employment data, to be released later in the day, influenced sentiments here.

Market participants booked profits at higher levels in opening trade, they added. 

Meanwhile, on a net basis, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 148.42 crore and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares worth Rs 578.92 crore in yesterday's trade, provisional data showed.

Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.74 per cent, while Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.26 per cent in early trade today. Financial markets in Japan are closed for a four-day holiday weekend.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.02 per cent higher in yesterday's trade.