Sensex tumbles over 430 pts; Nifty slips below 18,000

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex dropped over 430 points Tuesday as investors booked profits in banking and financial stocks after sharp gains in the previous session.

Investor focus returned to the Russia-Ukraine war and rising oil prices, traders said.

The 30-share BSE gauge ended 435.24 points or 0.72 per cent lower at 60,176.50. Similarly, the NSE Nifty shed 96 points or 0.53 per cent to close at 17,957.40.

HDFC Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, followed by Bajaj Finserv, HDFC, Kotak Bank, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance and Reliance Industries.

On the other hand, NTPC, PowerGrid, ITC, Titan, TCS and Nestle India were among the gainers, surging up to 3.40 per cent.

Of the Sensex constituents, 17 shares closed lower while 13 were in the green.

Banking and financial indices fell sharply, up to 1.33 per cent, while the power segment rallied 3.38 per cent.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul closed on a firm footing.

Stock exchanges in Europe were trading on a negative note in mid-session deals.

International oil benchmark Brent crude spurted 1.59 per cent to USD 109.24 per barrel.

Investors are keeping a close watch on the developments in Ukraine amid speculations that Russia could face even stricter economic sanctions.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) pumped more than Rs 1,150 crore into equities on a net basis Monday amid a rally in the market, according to stock exchange data.