Sensex Falls Over 100 Points, Nifty Slips Below 11,900

Domestic stock markets started Wednesday's session on a lacklustre note, with the benchmark Nifty index giving up the 11,900 level, tracking weakness in Asian peers. The S&P BSE Sensex declined as much as 113.55 points to 39,636.18 in early trade, and the NSE Nifty index moved to 11,896.45, down 32.3 points from the previous close. Losses in banking and auto stocks dragged the markets lower, however gains in information technology and pharmaceutical shares kept the downside in check. 

At 9:32 am, the Sensex traded 29.99 points - or 0.08 per cent - lower at 39,719.74, while the Nifty was down 9.30 points - or 0.08 per cent - at 11,919.45.

Top laggards on the 50-scrip index at the time were Zee Entertainment, State Bank of India (SBI), Vedanta, Hindalco, UPL and ICICI Bank, trading between 1.51 per cent and 1.89 per cent lower.

ICICI Bank, SBI and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the biggest drags on the Sensex.

Equities in other Asian markets sank and bonds rallied as investor sentiment soured over growing worries about world growth with trade tensions between the US and China showing no signs of easing.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.5 per cent after three straight days of gains. Chinese shares started on the back foot with the blue-chip CSI300 off 0.5 per cent. Australian shares were 0.8 per cent lower while Japan's Nikkei faltered 1.4 per cent.

In an indication US markets will fall again on Wednesday, E-Minis for the S&P 500 were 0.4 per cent lower.

The Sensex and Nifty had registered record closing highs in the past three sessions.

(With inputs from Reuters)