Sensex closes down by 155 points

Similarly,the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty 50 dropped by 49.20 points to 5,225.65,after moving between 5,287.80 and 5,218.65.

The realty,IT,oil & gas and healthcare counters were battered towards the second part of the trade,following a very weak opening of the European markets,pulling the broader market down.

The Sensex heaviest Reliance Industries fell by Rs 14.35 to Rs 1,085.20 and second-heaviest Infosys Technologies shed Rs 32.75 to Rs 2,636.45. The two carry nearly 24 per cent weight on the index.

Among the 30-share Sensex stocks,23 closed with losses while seven ended in positive zone.

The realty sector index suffered the most by losing 1.75 per cent to 4,006.91 followed by IT sector index by 1.68 percent to 5,342.79.