Date:01/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/01/stories/2008070154851700.htm

Business

Sensex plunges by 341 points

MUMBAI: The markets ended weak for the second day in a row on Monday with the bellwether Sensex dropping a significant 340 points as already dampened investor sentiment was further hit by fresh surge in crude prices. The 30-share Sensex on the Bombay Stock Exchange settled the day at 13,461.60 a loss of 340.62 points, from its previous close. The 50-share S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange fell by 96.10 points to close at 4040.55.

Trading halt

The BSE on Monday said that trading would come to a halt when its benchmark index Sensex records a movement of 2,700 points during any trading session in the quarter beginning Tuesday.

The index-based market wide circuit breaker would be triggered at three stages of the indicies — Sensex and Nifty — movement either way at 10 per cent, 15 per cent and 20 per cent, a BSE circular stated.

In case of a 20 per cent movement, or a gain or loss of 2,700 points, in either of the two benchmark indices, trading on both exchanges would be halted for the entire day for any day between July 1 and September 30. — PTI