Sensex down 162 pts on first session of FY 2009-10

Mumbai, Apr 1: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex fell by over 162 points in early trade today, beginning the new financial year (2009-10) on a negative note, on selling by funds after Asian stocks slipped into the red.
The 30-share barometer, which had gained 140.36 points on the last session of fiscal 2008-09, fell by 162.21 points to 9,546.29 points in early trade, after opening in the positive zone at 9,745.77 points.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange's Nifty was down by 55.25 points, or 1.53 per cent, to 2,965.70 points.

Marketmen said stocks failed to sustain the opening higher levels on emergence of profit-taking and selling by funds mostly in line with other Asian bourses, and slipped into the red towards later during the morning session.

Major losers, which dragged the Sensex down, were Reliance Industries down 1.33 per cent to Rs 1,503, State Bank of India 3.13 per cent to Rs 1,033.20, ICICI Bank by 2.21 per cent to Rs 325.25, HDFC Bank by 1.12 per cent to Rs 957 and Infosys Technologies by 0.28 per cent to Rs 1,320.35.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down by one per cent in the midsession today. PTI