Date:18/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/02/18/stories/2006021803830100.htm

Back Sensex down 143, slips below 10,000

Our Bureau

Mumbai , Feb. 17

STOCKS fell on Friday on profit booking and selling by foreign funds with the benchmark BSE Sensex closing below the 10,000-mark at 9981.11 points.

The Sensex fell by 143.19 points (1.41 per cent), which is the biggest single day fall in over a month. Heavyweights ONGC (down 2.86 per cent at Rs 1,119.8), Hindustan Lever (down 2.87 per cent at Rs 231.55) and ICICI Bank (down 1.92 per cent at Rs 586.5) led the fall.

The S&P CNX Nifty index was down 40.1 points (1.33 per cent) at 2,981.50 points.

"Both the Sensex and Nifty were trading on a narrow range for the last couple of sessions. Profit booking coupled with F&O expiry have resulted in the selling pressure," said Mr Gaurang Shah of Geojit Financial Services.

The broader BSE 100 index closed at 5,259 points lower by 78.49 points while the BSE 500 declined by 59.46 points to 4030.58 points.