Sensex plunges 182 pts, Nifty below 9,200

Sensex on Thursday plunged 182 points to a two-week low while Nifty broke below 9,200 after India's second biggest software exporter Infosys announced to return Rs 13,000 crore to shareholders.

On top of it, disappointing macro numbers and persisting military concerns relating to the Korean peninsula and West Asia pulled down the indices.

In weekly terms, the Sensex fell 245.16 points, or 0.82 per cent, while the Nifty was down 47.50 points, or 0.51 per cent.

The 30-share index opened lower before slipping further when Infosys results raised concerns about others to follow. It was down 182.03 points, or 0.61 per cent, at 29,461.45 at the close, a level last seen on March 28. The barometer had lost 145 points in the previous session.

The 50-share NSE Nifty slipped below the 9,200-mark, falling 52.65 points, or 0.57 per cent at 9,150.80. The IT index bore the brunt after Infosys revenue guidance and plan to return cash to shareholders fell short of the crease, going by the Street expectations. Shares of Infosys slumped 3.86 per cent. TCS and Wipro too came under pressure and fell.

"A weak start to the fourth quarter result season... and the disruptive global market dragged the domestic market down. Additionally, not-so-encouraging IIP, rise in food inflation and anticipation of below-normal monsoon impacted sentiment," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

Also Read: Infosys announces Rs 13,000 crore payout to shareholders via divided, buyback in FY 2018

The exchanges will be closed tomorrow for Baba Ambedkar Jayanti and Good Friday. Mood dampened further after government data, released after trading hours Wednesday, showed that industrial output slipped to a 4-month low by contracting 1.2 per cent in February and fuel prices drove retail inflation to a five-month high of 3.81 per cent in March.

Metal, capital goods, auto, FMCG, power and consumer durables indices all fell by up to 2.84 per cent. A weak trend in Asia reflecting losses in the US because of continued geo-political trouble and comments by US President Donald Trump on the greenback roiled the scene.

According to financial services major Nomura, India's GDP growth is likely to decelerate to 6.7 per cent in the March quarter but will gradually recover, which cast its shadow, traders added.

Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Adani Ports, Bharti Airtel, Maruti Suzuki, L&T and ITC, too ran up losses. A total of 18 scrips out of the 30-share Sensex pack lost while 12 others closed higher.

The broader markets were ahead of the benchmark, with the BSE small-cap and mid-cap advancing. There was no respite from selling by foreign portfolio investors, who net sold shares worth Rs 580.70 crore yesterday, showed provisional data. Other key stocks in Asia too ended lower. Europe remained in the negative zone.