How volatile is Indian stock market? Should you buy, hold or sell?

Stock market crash: India VIX, barometer to assess market anxiety and volatility, skyrocketed 52 per cent in a single day to 22- highest since August 2015.

Benchmark indices Nifty and Sensex fell today (August 5) extending losses for the second session in a row amid weak global cues and US recession fears. Both Sensex and Nifty decline more than 2.5 per cent day while about 437 shares advanced, 3,007 shares declined and 82 shares were unchanged. This comes as US futures were deep in the red with Nasdaq futures down over 2 per cent while the Nasdaq entered correction territory.

Stock market crash: Among sectors, Nifty Auto, Realty, Metal and Public Sector Banks fell the most.

India VIX, barometer to assess market anxiety and volatility, skyrocketed 52 per cent in a single day to 22- highest since August 2015. Among sectors, Nifty Auto, Realty, Metal and Public Sector Banks fell the most. The Nifty FMCG index was the sole gainer owing to gains in Hindustan Unilever, Tata Consumer Products, and Britannia Industries. Key points you need to know before buying, selling or holding your stocks:

1. Nifty gainers today: Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Tata Consumer Products, Sun Pharma, Nestle, and Britannia

2. Nifty losers today: Tata Motors, ONGC, Hindalco, Infosys, and Maruti Suzuki

3. Key Sensex gainers: HUL, Nestle, Sun Pharma and Nestle

4. Key Sensex losers: Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Steel, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra

5. Bharat Forge shares tanked 4 percent after Class-8 truck orders in North America dropped to a 15-month low in July.

6. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank shares were 6 per cent higher on after the lender's fiscal first-quarter earnings. The lender recorded a 10 per cent rise in its net profit at ₹287.29 crore.

7. Futures in the US indicated that the sell-off is not abating anytime soon as the Dow Jones futures are down over 400 points and the Nasdaq futures are down 700 points, which resulted in a hit to the Indian IT stocks.