Sensex extends losing streak; bears target midcaps

The Sensex closed at 18735.60, down 57 points over the previous close, and the Nifty shed 7 points to close at 5651.

With today’s losses, the Sensex has shed 835 points in the last six sessions, and the Nifty, 258 points. The near 4 percent weekly decline is the worst in about 15 months.

Brokers expect more volatility next week, with the market open for just three trading sessions and the F&O expiry due on Thursday.

Realty and state-owned banks have been the worst performers in a week in which midcap and small cap shares took a renewed pounding.

Among frontline shares, Reliance Infra, DLF, Tata Steel, BHEL, PNB, ACC, SBI and BPCL fell 8-18 percent.

But the real carnage was in the midcap space, with shares like Manappuram Finance, HDIL, MMTC, IVRCL, Sintex, Orchid Chemicals, Delta Corp, Pantaloon and Educomp tanking 18-32 percent.

Brokers say slowing FII flows has been a key reason for the slide. In December, January and February, FIIs net purchased an average of Rs 22,000 crore worth of shares every month. In March so far, net FII purchases in equities has been less than Rs 8500 crore.

The RBI cut the benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points earlier this week, but made it clear that it had limited room for further interest rate cuts. Most analysts and economists do not expect banks to cut interest rates unless consumer price inflation shows signs of easing.