Thursday, March 17, 2011

Sensex down 112 points as RBI hikes key rates by 0.25%

MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex was trading over 112 points lower in afternoon trade on increased selling by funds and retail investors amid RBI's move to raise its key policy rates by 25 basis points.

The 30-share Sensex, which had lost nearly 150 points at the start of the session, was down 112.55 points, or 0.61 per cent, at 18,246.14 at 1220 hrs with banking, IT, auto, realty and auto stocks leading the fall.

The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty down by 32.75 points to 5,478.40.

Brokers said the RBI's decision to raise its short-term lending and borrowing rates, for the eight time since March 2010, by 25 basis points each, was in line with market expectations.

But raising of March-end inflation forecast to 8 per cent from 7 per cent projected earlier, had negative impact on the sentiments, they added.

RBI today hiked key short-term lending and borrowing rates by 25 basis points each in a bid to rein in inflation.

It also raised March-end inflation forecast to 8 per cent from 7 per cent projected earlier.

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