Equity indices fall over 1 pc, metals and banks drag

Equity benchmark indices swung lower during the afternoon on Friday as traders booked profits over metals and banking counters.

At 1:30 pm, the BSE S&P Sensex was down by 510 points or 1.03 per cent at 49,115 while the Nifty 50 slipped by 156 points or 1.07 per cent to 14,434.

Except for Nifty auto which rose by 2.5 per cent, all other sectoral indices at the National Stock Exchange were in the red. Nifty metal cracked by 4.2 per cent, private bank by 2.7 per cent, PSU bank by 2.6 per cent and realty by 2.3 per cent.

Among stocks, Hindalco retreated by 4.7 per cent to Rs 237.05 per share while Tata Steel and JSW Steel lost by 4.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively.

Axis Bank was down by 4.3 per cent, ICICI Bank by 3.1 per cent, State Bank of India by 2.6 per cent, Reliance Industries by 2.5 per cent and Asian Paints by 2.7 per cent.

However, defying the trend, Bajaj Auto surged ahead by 10.4 per cent to Rs 4,089.95 per share.

Hero MotoCorp accelerated by 6 per cent, Eicher Motors by 3 per cent and Tata Motors by 2.3 per cent. Maruti Suzuki was up by 1 per cent to Rs 8,163.05 per share.

( With inputs from ANI )