Sensex, Nifty end lower for third straight session; PSU banks worst hit

Indian benchmark equity indices closed in the red on Wednesday tracking losses in banks, financials and auto stocks. The 30-share BSE index ended 135.05 points or 0.26% lower at 52,443.71, while the broader NSE Nifty slipped 37.05 points or 0.24% to 15,709.40. Kotak Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 2%, followed by Dr Reddy’s, M&M, PowerGrid, NTPC, Nestle India and HDFC Bank. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finserv were among the gainers. Most sectoral indices on the NSE closed in the red. Nifty PSU Bank, closing nearly 2% lower, was the top sectoral laggard followed by Nifty Auto, and Nifty Bank. Bucking the trend, Nifty Metal up over 1%, and Nifty IT, up 0.2%, ended the session in the green.