Sensex falls for second straight day ahead of F&O expiry, rupee fall weighs

The BSE Sensex, which had lost 272.93 points in the previous session, fell further by 90.26 points, or 0.25% to 35,126.85

Indian shares fell for a second straight day on Thursday as investors turned cautious on the expiry of derivatives contracts, while the rupee hit a record low amid intensifying global trade war.

People watch a large screen displaying India's benchmark share index on the facade of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India, September 29, 2016. (Reuters File Photo)

The broader NSE Nifty ended 0.77% lower at 10,589.10, while the benchmark BSE Sensex closed 0.51% lower at 35,037.64.

Financials dragged the indices down with private lender ICICI Bank Ltd and index heavyweight Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd ending lower by nearly 3% and 1.4%, respectively.

Brent crude was trading at nearly $78 a barrel in Asian trade on Thursday.

Besides, lingering trade war concerns between the US and China accelerated selling on the domestic bourses, they added.

The laggards included NTPC, Coal India, L&T, Hero MotoCorp, ICICI Bank, Power Grid, SBI, Tata Motors, Adani Ports, Asian Paints, HDFC Ltd, Maruti Suzuki, Yes Bank and Bajaj Auto, falling up to 2.48%.

The US Dow Jones ended lower by 0.68% in Wednesday’s trade.