Sensex dips 224 pts, Nifty below 8,600 on US rate hike concerns

TIL Desk/Business/Mumbai-Domestic equities failed to sustain the positive momentum on F&O expiry day as fag-end selling pulled down the benchmark Sensex by over 224 points, the worst single-day fall in more than two weeks, amid growing US rate hike concerns ahead of Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s speech.

The initial range-bound momentum driven by short-covering in view of August derivative expiry led to key indices ruling in the positive terrain till Thursday afternoon. Mid-afternoon trade saw the market wobbled as jittery investors bridled by caution ahead of US Federal Reserve Chair Yellen’s speech tomorrow, while lower European opening and lack of direction led the index succumb to selling pressure.

The Sensex resumed higher at 28,103.60 and advanced to 28,154.21 as participants indulged in short-covering of their outstanding positions. However, the 30-scrip bundle slipped into the negative zone and touched a low of 27,803.24 before ending at over two-week low of 27,835.91, showing a fall of 224.03 points, or 0.80 per cent.