Worst Month For Sensex, Nifty Since 2008 Amid Coronavirus Crisis

Domestic share markets closed higher on Tuesday, tracking broader Asian markets, but recorded their worst monthly and yearly performance in over a decade as the country grappled with disruption caused by the fast-spreading coronavirus. The broader Nifty ended 3.82 per cent higher at 8,597.75 and the benchmark Sensex closed up 3.62 per cent at 29,468.49.

However, both the indexes posted their worst monthly fall since October 2008 and their worst annual fall since 2009 due to the coronavirus-led selloff and a sluggish domestic economy.

India reported its steepest single-day rise of 227 fresh coronavirus cases by Monday evening, taking the total number of infected people to 1,251.

The rising cases come amid a 21-day lockdown that began last week, and which the government said it had no plans to extend.

The country's benchmark 10-year bond yield was at 6.08 per cent, compared with its previous close of 6.21 per cent, while the rupee strengthened 0.15 per cent against the dollar by 3:41 pm.

In the equities market, metal stocks gained the most among sectors, with the Nifty metals index closing up 5.19 per cent. The Nifty pharma index gained 4.07 per cent.

Oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp rose 15.3 per cent and was the top gainer among the blue-chip stocks, while Indusind Bank shed 15 per cent and was the top laggard.