HMPV virus fears drag mkt down

Sensex ended 1.6% lower at 77,965, while Nifty declined 1.6% to settle at 23,616

- ARSHAD KHAN @ New Delhi

DOMESTIC equity market nose-dived on Monday over fears related to the new HMPV virus, continuous selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and weakening global cues. The Sensex ended 1,258.12 points or 1.59% lower at 77,964.99 while the Nifty fell 388.70 (1.62%) to settle at 23,616.05. During intraday deals, the two indices plummeted by up to 1.88%.

The sharp sell wiped out more than ₹11 lakh crore from investors' kitty as the market capitalization of all BSE-listed firms came down to ₹440.19 lakh crore from ₹451.33 lakh crore on Friday. "The market experienced a decline and entered a state of panic, primarily due to the detection of a case of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Bengaluru. This virus, a type of respiratory illness, has the potential to disrupt businesses, and logistics, and even lead to partial lockdowns, similar to the impact of COVID-19," said Anand K. Rathi, co-founder of MIRA Money.