BENGALURU Indian shares settled lower for a third consecutive session on Friday, dragged by financial stocks as new quarantine restrictions from Britain and weak economic data from China hurt global investor sentiment.
The NSE Nifty 50 index closed down 1.08% at 11,178.40, finishing the week 0.32% lower.
The S&P BSE Sensex settled 1.13% lower at 37,861.86, ending the week 0.43% down.
Both indexes had risen over 0.5% each during the session on expectations of more economic relief measures from the government, even as coronavirus cases continue to surge.
“China data is weak and Europe has opened lower and people are realising that COVID-19 impact will not go away easily,” said Deepak Jasani, head of research, HDFC Securities.
“Markets are very fickle minded.”
European shares were dragged lower by a hit to travel stocks after Britain added more European countries to its quarantine list, while the MSCI’s world index was 0.2% lower.
Indian stocks have been hovering around five-month highs, while small-cap shares have risen enough to clock a gain in 2020, but many analysts say these rallies did not reflect the economic reality.
“It is a much deserved correction, valuations were going through the roof,” said Samrat Dasgupta, chief executive at Esquire Capital.
In Mumbai, all major sectoral indexes except the Nifty Metal index and the Nifty Pharma index closed in the red.
Banking stocks slid, with the Nifty PSU Bank index and the Nifty private banking index settling down over 2% each.
A 7.15% drop in Eicher Motors Ltd dragged the Nifty Auto index 2.57% lower.
Meanwhile, the Nifty Pharma index and the Nifty Metal index closed up 1.42% and 1.06%, respectively. Both indexes finished higher for a third straight week.
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