Sensex falls over 115 points after RBI keeps rates unchanged

Mumbai: Markets today fell for the second straight session with benchmark Sensex slipping 115.61 points to close at 28,444.01 on profit-booking in select bluechips after RBI held rates for the fifth time in a row and losses in IT shares after rupee gained strength versus US dollar. After a lower opening, the BSE Sensex tried to recover and logged a high of 28,576.39 on RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan opening the door for a rate cut early next year but the gains proved to be fleeting.     

The Sensex later witnessed choppy trade as every rise met with selling. It settled at 28,444.01, a fall of 115.61 points or 0.40 per cent. Yesterday, it had slipped by 134.37 points. Similarly, the broader 50-issue Nifty of the NSE moved down further by 31.20 points, or 0.36 per cent, to 8,524.70. "As anticipated, RBI kept the policy rate unchanged as it   believed that a change in stance towards easing would be premature at the juncture...we believe RBI will refrain from cutting policy rates before the next budget in Feb 2015," said Dhananjay Sinha, Head-Institutional Research, Emkay Global.     

Over half of the 30 Sensex constituents ended with losses  led by GAIL (down 2.85 per cent), M&M (2.36 per cent), HDFC  (1.51 per cent) and Hero MotoCorp (1.48 per cent). Banking shares, like ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, closed up. Rupee, which had breached 62-mark against dollar in previous sessions, today strengthened to 61.87 levels. This put pressure of shares IT companies, including TCS and  Infosys, which earn most of their sales in the US currency.     

Besides IT and auto shares, oil & gas shares also attracted profit selling after excise duty on petrol was hiked by Rs 2.25 per litre and by Re 1 a litre on diesel but retail  pump rates won't rise as oil firms have decided to absorb theduty change for the time being. Despite fall in Sensex and Nifty, total market breadth was slightly better on good demand from retail investors. The BSE-Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices outperformed the Sensex as they gained 0.91 per cent and 0.55 per cent respectively.     

The global mood was positive as most Asian and European indices were in the green. This gave some support to Indian markets, traders said. Overseas investors had sold shares worth Rs 12.36 crore yesterday, as per provisional data.