Sensex ends volatile session 185 pts down; IT stocks decline, PSBs shine

CLOSING BELL: The Nifty50 index shut shop at 16,523, down 62 points or 0.37 per cent

CLOSING BELL

Stock market highlights: The benchmark indices ended a volatile trading session on a negative note on Wednesday amid worsening geopolitical situation in Europe. Moreover, rising bond yields in the debt market also soured market mood. 

According to media reports, US President Joe Biden has pledged to send Ukraine more advanced rocket systems and munitions to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield. Besides, some members of the energy alliance OPEC+ are considering whether to suspend Russia from an oil production deal.

Against this backdrop, the BSE Sensex index fell 185 points, or 0.33 per cent, to end at 55,381 levels, while the Nifty50 index shut shop at 16,523, down 62 points or 0.37 per cent. Both the indices had touched intra-day lows of 55,091 and 16,439, respectively.

In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap index slipped 0.1 per cent, while the BSE SmallCap index added 0.62 per cent. Sectorally, the Nifty IT index slipped over 1 per cent on the NSE, while the Nifty PSU Bank index added 0.9 per cent.