Sensex ends 465 points lower, Nifty just shy of 14,500

Domestic stock market indices fell sharply going into the last hour of trade on Tuesday amid fresh woes about the impact of coronavirus on business as BCCI cancelled the ongoing IPL season after several players and support staff turned COVID-19 positive. 

S&P BSE Sensex ended at 48,253, down 465 points while the Nifty 50 index closed just shy of 14,500. Reliance Industries was the biggest Sensex drag, falling 2.11%. It was followed by Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s, and HDFC Twins. 

ONGC, Bajaj Finance, and TCS were the top gainers.  Nifty PSU Bank index was the only sectoral gauge to close in the green. Broader markets mirrored the fall and closed with losses.

Global markets

Economically sensitive sectors, including miners, travel and energy, drove gains in European stocks on Tuesday, with British shares outperforming after a holiday-extended weekend.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.4 per cent in early trading, with the German DAX up 0.2 per cent, and the UK's FTSE 100 rising 0.8 per cent.

Earlier in Asia, South Korea's Kospi added 0.6 per cent and Australia's S&P/ASX200 gained 0.5 per cent.

(With inputs from Reuters)