The S&P BSE Sensex index fell as much as 125 points to touch 55,823.23 in the first few minutes of trade, and the broader NSE Nifty50 benchmark fell to as low as 16,608.20, down 29 points from its previous close.
Hindalco was the top Nifty50 gainer in early deals, up 2.26 per cent. UPL,
, L&T and were among other blue-chip top performers.
On the other hand, M&M was the top laggard, down 1.78 per cent. IndusInd Bank, HDFC, and ICICI Bank were among other losers. gained 4 per cent in early trade.
Equities in other Asian markets were mixed in early trade. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up by 0.09 per cent.
Overnight on Wall Street, the three benchmark indices settled lower. Dow Jones fell 0.54% to 35,213.12, while S&P 500 declined 0.58% to 4,470. Nasdaq shed 0.64% to 14,945.81
Meanwhile, in the oil market, crude prices gained with Brent futures up 6 cents, or 0.2%, to $71.23 a barrel, after falling 1.6% on Thursday. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed 16 cents, or 0.2%, to $67.58 a barrel at 0111 GMT, clawing back a 1.4% loss on Thursday.
