Thu close: Sensex down 135 pts

The BSE index closes in red as funds and retail investors book profits.

Continuing with its slide, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Thursday closed with a steep fall of 135 points, as funds and retail investors booked profits after a brisk opening.

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The BSE-30 share index, which had closed 25.35 points lower on Wednesday, lost another 134.89 points at 12,723.59. It moved between 12,925.60 and 12,654.98 points during the session on alternate bouts of buying and selling in heavy-weight stocks.

The broader-base Nifty index of National Stock Exchange settled 32.85 points down at 3,677.80, after touching the day's low of 3,655.05.

However, gains in stocks like Grasim Industries, Hero Honda, Tata Motors and Gujarat Ambuja helped Sensex to recover part of its losses.