Sensex closes 133 points down

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets fell 133 points on 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 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent. FMCG index fell 1.78 per cent, healthcare index fell 1.20 per cent, PSU index declined 1.15 per cent and the banking index dropped 0.92 per cent. The country’s largest consumer goods firm Hindustan Unilever slumped 2.14 per cent at Rs.551.75 due to disappointing sales volume. Hindustan Unilever, the Indian unit of Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever, on Friday announced better than expected 17 per cent jump in its profit but disappointed the markets on sales volume numbers. From Gulftoday