Mumbai, Jan 2 (IANS): A benchmark index of Indian equities market Thursday fell 252 points, as capital goods and bank stocks fell.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 21,179.91 points, closed at 20,888.33 points, down 252.15 points or 1.19 percent from its previous day close at 21,140.48 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 21,331.32 points and a low of 20,846.67 during the day.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed trade 80.50 points or 1.28 percent down at 6,221.15 points.

Heavy selling pressure was observed during the day in capital goods, bank, oil and gas, metal and automobile scrips.

The S&P BSE capital goods index was down 291.47 points, while the bank index was lower by 236.28 points, followed by the oil and gas index which decreased by 151.25 points. The metal index closed Thursday's trade down 148.50 points and automobile index was lower by 104.19 points.

However, information technology index gained by 9.63 points.

The major Sensex gainers were: Maruti Suzuki, up 0.34 percent at Rs.1,769.40; Sun Pharma, up 0.26 percent at Rs.573.90; Infosys, up 0.24 percent at Rs.3,474.75; and Wipro, up 0.03 percent at Rs.552.90.

The main losers were: BHEL, down 3.42 percent at Rs.169.35; Tata Power, down 3.27 percent at Rs.87.40; Coal India, down 3.05 percent at Rs.283; Larsen and Toubro (L&T), down 3.04 percent at Rs.1,036.40; and Bharti Airtel, down 2.81 percent at Rs.328.10.

Among the Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.69 percent up and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.14 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index went down by 0.31 percent.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.31 percent down, Germany's DAX Index was down 0.48 percent and the French CAC 40 Index was lower by 0.99 percent.

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