Sensex falls 214 points, Nifty at 11,300 amid coronavirus spread in India

Indian benchmark indices ended in red on Wednesday (March 4) with the Sensex losing 214 points or 0.55 per cent to close at 38,409.48, while the broader NSE Nifty lost 52.30 points or 0.46 per cent to finish at 11,251 points. Bank Nifty index shed 523 points and closed at 28,653 levels.

IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, ITC, UltraTech Cement and HDFC Bank were the biggest losers of the day, while Sun Pharma, Tech Mahindra, M&M and Asian Paints ended with gains.

Banking stocks witnessed maximum selloff as the BSE Bankex plunged 1.72 per cent in the intraday trade session. Yes Bank's share price fell 6.24 per cent, IndusInd Bank lost 3.85 per cent, HDFC Bank nosedived 2.74 per cent, State Bank of India or SBI stock price went southward 1.57 per cent while ICICI Bank stocks declined 1.54 per cent.

Earlier on Wednesday, equity indices opened on a positive note with the Sensex up 49.06 points or 0.13% at 38672.76, while the broader Nifty also up 14.50 points or 0.13% at 11317.80. Major gainers on the Indices included Bharti Airtel, Eicher Motors, UPL, Bajaj Auto, Yes Bank, and HCL Tech, while HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank, and Maruti Suzuki are among top losers. 

Except for metal, bank, and auto, the rest of other sectoral indices traded in the green. The Sensex, however, fell as much as 115.52 points on the downside in a few minutes of trade, while the broader Nifty also slipped below 11,300. 

The Indian rupee today also opened 22 paise higher at 73.07 per dollar versus the previous close of 73.29.