Mumbai, Nov 12 (IANS): A benchmark index of Indian equities markets fell for the sixth consecutive session and tanked 209.05 points or 1.02 percent Tuesday over concerns that the US Federal Reserve may scale back its bond purchases earlier than expected.

Selling pressure was observed in banking, metal, auto, capital goods and oil and gas sectors, while only fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) saw some positive buying.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,510.31 points, closed at 20,281.91 points, falling 209.05 points or 1.02 percent from its previous day close at 20,490.96 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 20,584.22 points and a low of 20,262.22 points intra-day.

The S&P BSE bankex plunged 199.21 points, metal index plummeted 165.28 points, auto index tanked 191.86 points, capital goods index dipped 135.87 points and oil and gas index went down by 98.04 points. However, FMCG index inched up marginally by 36.32 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed trade at 60.75 points or 1 percent up at 6,018.05 points.

Major Sensex gainers were: ITC, up 0.87 percent at Rs.319.75 and Mahindra & Mahindra, up 0.71 percent at Rs.877.

Major Sensex losers were: Tata Motors, down 4.53 percent at Rs.360.05; Tata Power, down 2.70 percent at Rs.79.25; ICICI Bank, down 2.43 percent at Rs.1012.45; Tata Steel, down 2.15 percent at Rs.352.30; ONGC, down 1.76 percent at Rs.265.85 and SBI, down 1.73 percent at Rs.1,675.45.

Among the Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 2.23 percent up; China's Shanghai Composite Index was up by 0.82 percent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down by 0.73 percent.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.25 percent down, Germany's DAX Index was down 0.26 percent and the French CAC 40 Index was down by 0.30 percent.

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