Sensex today: Index closes 162 points lower; Vedanta, HPCL shares in top losers' list

Sensex today: The benchmark indices today ended lower after the government announced fiscal deficit of Rs 6.77 trillion ($103.72 billion) for April-January or 113.7% of the target originally set for the fiscal year that ends in March.
 
The S&P BSE Sensex ended 162 points  down  at 34,184, while the Nifty50 index settled at 10,493, down 0.58%.
 
Nifty Bank, media, metals and financial services indices were the losers. In the Nifty index, 21 stocks advanced and 29 stocks declined, indicating a bearish mood in the market.
 
Infosys, UPL, Eicher Motors, Hindustan Petroleum, Cipla were the Nifty gainers, while Vedanta Limited, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever,  Indiabulls Housing and Axis Bank were the losers.
 
Factory activity too slowed to a four-month low in February. The Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, fell to 52.1 in February from January's 52.4.
 
Asian shares faltered today, as risk appetite soured after comments from new Federal Reserve Chair revived fears about faster rate rises in the US.
 
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.2 per cent.
 
On Wall Street, the markets turned south on Tuesday with the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq falling over 1 per cent each.