If 2012 was a year that saw Indian bourses scripting a dramatic turnaround after the meltdown, 2013 was marked by consolidation in the first half and a new found optimism by market participants in the second half.
The 30-share Sensex ended down 604 points at 28,845 and the 50-share Nifty ended down 181 points at 8,757. The Bank Nifty ended down 602 points at 19,146.
Among Sensex firms, Bharat Electronics, Eternal, Mahindra & Mahindra, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tata Motors and Power Grid were the gainers. However, Adani Ports, ITC, UltraTech Cement and Titan were among the laggards.
Among the 30 Sensex firms, Adani Ports and Power Grid climbed over 3 per cent each. Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Infosys, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti, and Larsen & Toubro were the other big gainers. IndusInd Bank, Bharti Airtel, Hindustan Unilever, Tech Mahindra and Titan were the laggards.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced an increase in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on Futures and Options trade with a view to discouraging small investors from speculative trading in derivatives, which led to a sharp decline in the stock market.
