Sensex slips for second day ahead of Fed decision

Domestic equity indices nursed losses for the second straight session on Wednesday as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of a crucial Fed policy meeting outcome where it is expected to announce tapering of its pandemic-era stimulus measures. The 30-share BSE Sensex ended 257.14 points or 0.43 per cent lower at 59,771.92.

Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty slipped 59.75 points or 0.33 per cent to 17,829.20. Sun Pharma was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, falling 3.06 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, Kotak Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, M&M and HDFC Bank. On the other hand, L&T, UltraTech Cement, Asian Paints, SBI, Tata Steel and Bajaj Finance were among the gainers, spurting as much as 3.99 per cent. SBI jumped 1.14 per cent after the country’s largest lender reported a 69 per cent jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 8.889.84 crore for the September quarter on account of a decline in bad loans.