Mumbai: Markets in red for third straight session

Mumbai: Indian equities closed in the red for a third straight session on Tuesday as the coronavirus spread outside China continued to hurt investors' risk appetite.

A day after taking a massive plunge due to concerns over Mauritius being added to the "grey list" of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the market steadied in the opening deals on Tuesday, with regulator Sebi saying that foreign investors from the island nation will continue to be eligible for FPI registration.

Starting off higher in opening trade, the BSE benchmark Sensex went through bouts of volatility during the session, before settling at 82.03 points, or 0.20 per cent, lower at 40,281.20. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty declined 31.50 points or 0.27 per cent to end at 11,797.90. On the Sensex chart, Sun Pharma was the top loser, shedding 2.37 per cent, followed by HCL Tech, Reliance Industries, IndusInd Bank and L&T.

On the other hand, TCS settled 1.98 per cent higher. Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, SBI and HUL too featured among the gainers. Sectorally, BSE energy, oil and gas, healthcare, consumer durables, industrials, auto and capital goods indices fell up to 1.64 per cent, while realty, telecom, teck and metal indices ended with gains.

In the broader market, BSE midcap and smallcap indices fell up to 0.45 per cent. Investors across the globe are worried over the long-term impact of the deadly coronavirus on the global growth.

A viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 80,000 people globally. In the domestic market, investors also weighed the repercussions of Mauritius being added to the "grey list" of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) -- an inter-governmental policy making body that sets anti-money laundering standards.