A benchmark index of Indian equities markets fell 133 points Friday due to selling pressure in banking and consumer goods stocks.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the negative at 18,715.35 points, ended the day at 18,625.34 points, down 0.71 percent or 133.29 points from its previous day close at 18,758.63 points.
The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also fell 0.72 percent at 5,664.30 points.
There was selling pressure in consumer durables, FMCG, banking and PSU stocks.
Most of the BSE sectoral indices closed in the red. The consumer durables index of the BSE slumped 2.84 percent. FMCG index fell 1.78 percent, healthcare index fell 1.20 percent, PSU index declined 1.15 percent and the banking index dropped 0.92 percent.
The country's largest consumer goods firm Hindustan Unilever slumped 2.14 percent at Rs.551.75 due to disappointing sales volume.
Hindustan Unilever, the Indian unit of Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever, Friday announced better than expected 17 percent jump in its profit but disappointed the markets on sales volume numbers.
Other major Sensex losers were: ITC, down 2 percent at Rs.285.95; Cipla, down 1.84 percent at Rs.355.25; Dr Reddy's Lab, down 1.59 percent at Rs.1669.15; RIL, down 1.39 percent at Rs.799; and Sun Pharma, down 1.38 percent at Rs.684.60.
ICICI Bank dropped by 0.73 percent to Rs.1,078.25 despite announcing better than expected second quarter earnings.
The country's largest private sector lender announced 30.12 percent increase in net profit for the second quarter of the current financial year.
Only nine of the 30 Sensex stocks closed in the positive. Mahindra & Mahindra jumped for the second straight day after announcing 22 percent increase in its net profit.
Mahindra & Mahindra surged 2.57 percent at Rs.879.60. The country's largest SUV maker was the biggest gainer among the Sensex for the second consecutive day.
Among the biggest Sensex gainers were: Bajaj Auto, up 1.72 percent at Rs.1,794.90; Hero MotoCorp, up 1.68 percent at Rs.1,869.15; Gail India, up 0.83 percent at Rs.363.45; and BHEL, up 0.73 percent at Rs.242.25.
There was selling pressure in the markets across the world. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.35 percent at 8,933.06 points and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index declined 1.21 percent at 21,545.57 points.
European markets were also in the negative. Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.80 percent, Germany's DAX was down 0.57 percent and French CAC 40 was trading 0.53 percent lower.