New Delhi:The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex tumbled to close 2.9% down backed by heavy profit-booking and weak opening of the European markets.

Markets started the day with subdued sentiment and the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty fell below the psychological 15,000 mark and 4,500 respectively.

In the sectoral front, investors off-loaded realty stocks heavily by almost 10.54%, others under pressure were metal, banking and consumer durables. Meanwhile the IT index witnessed some buying, gaining more than 1.5%.

The 30-share BSE Sensex closed lower by 437.63 points at 14,665.92 and the 50-share NSE Nifty closed down by 157 points at 4,429.90.

Among losers from the BSE pack Jaiprakash Associates led decline by 10.40% to Rs207.25, along with DLF by 10.34% to Rs365.85, Tata Steel by 10.21% to Rs416.55, Reliance Communications by 8.68% to Rs309.45, Reliance Infra by 8.55% to Rs1,121.95, State Bank of India by 6.76% to Rs1,695.10, Ranbaxy Laboratories by 6.45% to Rs266.20, Tata Motors by 6.25% to Rs364.75 and Hindalco by 6.14% to Rs87.20.

With IT as the only sector in green, Wipro gained by 3.36% to Rs406, followed by Infosys by 2.52% to Rs1,733.20, Tata Consultancy Services by 2.29% to Rs738.10 and Hindustan Unilever Ltd by 0.14% to Rs251.30.

Asian markets closed with mixed sentiments, Japan’s Nikkei ended 1% up to hit its eight-month closing high on better than expected US jobs data. Meanwhile Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell by 2% on profit-booking.