Sensex Slides 341 Points in Early Trade

Mumbai: Domestic equities started on a negative note on Friday, with benchmark Sensex tumbling 341 points as negative global cues and concerns over the quarterly financial performance of IT companies hit investor sentiments.

The broader Nifty too declined in early trade while Asian markets fell amid fears of higher interest rates against the backdrop of a marginal rise in the latest US inflation numbers.

Falling more than 341 points or 0.51 per cent, the 30-share BSE Sensex was at 66,067.31 points. A total of 20 companies in the index, including Infosys and Axis Bank, dropped more than 2 per cent.