Sensex falls 336 points to close at 40,794 ahead of GDP data; Nifty below 12,050

Highlights

• Hindustan Unilever, Tata Motors, Yes Bank, M&M, Vedanta, SBI and Sun Pharma were the biggest losers in the sensex pack, with their shares plunging up to 2.50 per cent
• Investors booked profits at higher levels ahead of Q2 gross domestic product (GDP) growth numbers, scheduled to be released later in the day, traders said

NEW DELHI: Equity indices on Friday ended in red with the benchmark BSE sensex plunging over 300 points ahead of quarterly GDP growth data release.

The 30-share BSE index fell 336.36 points or 0.82 per cent to finish at 40,793.81. While, the broader NSE Nifty closed 95.10 points or 0.78 per cent lower at 12,056.05.

Hindustan Unilever, Tata Motors, Yes Bank, M&M, Vedanta, SBI and Sun Pharma were the biggest losers in the sensex pack, with their shares plunging up to 2.50 per cent.

On the other hand, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank, NTPC, Maruti and Asian Paints were the only gainers, with their stocks up as much as 1.28 per cent.

All sub-indices on NSE, except for Nifty Realty, closed lower with Nifty Media, Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Metal falling up to 2.46 per cent.

Investors booked profits at higher levels ahead of Q2 gross domestic product (GDP) growth numbers, scheduled to be released later in the day, traders said.

According to experts, GDP growth for Q2 is expected to be between 4.2 per cent and 4.7 per cent, slower than the 5 per cent in Q1.

Weak cues from global markets also weighed on market mood, they added.

Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,008.89 crore in the capital market in the previous session, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold equities worth Rs 155.47 crore, data available with stock exchange showed.

On the currency front, the rupee depreciated 17 paise (intra-day) against the US dollar to 71.79.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.79 per cent to $62.77 per barrel in futures trade.

(With agency inputs)