Sensex slips 179 points, Nifty below 15,700

Indian stock market indices BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 ended over half a per cent down on Thursday, a day of weekly options expiry. 

BSE Sensex fell 179 points or 0.34 per cent to 52,323.33, while the broader Nifty 50 index lost 76 points or 0.48 per cent to settle at 15,691. 

The NSE's Nifty 50 index breached below its immediate support of 15,650 and hit a low of 15,616. It recovered marginally to end at 15,691 levels, down 76 points or 0.48 per cent.

Global markets

Global stock markets were mostly lower Thursday after the Federal Reserve indicated it might ease off economic stimulus earlier than previously thought.

In Asia, the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo lost 0.9 per cent, South Korea's Kospi and Australia's S&P-ASX 200 shed 0.4 per cent each. China's Shanghai Composite Index, on the contrary, rose 0.2 per cent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.4 per cent.

(With inputs from agencies)