Sensex drops 170 points, Nifty declines 48 amid volatile weekly expiry

The benchmark domestic equity indices today failed to hold gains and ended with modest losses. Both indices gave up their initial positive momentum and slipped into negative territory in the last hour of trade.

The 30-share index at the Bombay Stock Exchange, Sensex, dropped 170 points to close at 83 thousand 239. The National Stock Exchange Nifty-50 declined 48 points to settle at 25 thousand 405 amid a volatile weekly expiry session.

The broader market indices at the BSE closed mixed. The Mid-Cap index ended nearly unchanged, and the Small-Cap index outperformed, rising by almost half a per cent.