Mumbai: The BSE benchmark Sensex plunged below 16,000 level in the opening trade Friday on fresh selling by foreign funds and retail investors, taking cues from weak Asian markets.Asian shares fell steeply on Friday after more signs emerged of growing instability among Spanish banks and political turmoil in Greece, with the latest sluggish economic data from the United States adding to the list of risks for investors.The 30-share barometer, fell by 206 points to 15,864.Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index slid by 73 points to 4,796 points.In the Asian region, Nikkei dropped 2.4 percent to 8,652.04, having dropped through support at 8,800. The broader Topix followed suit with a 2.5 percent fall to 728.81.In the US, stocks fell for a fifth day, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at a four-month low on Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 156.06 points, or 1.24 percent, to 12,442.49. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 19.94 points, or 1.51 percent, to 1,304.86. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 60.35 points, or 2.10 percent, to 2,813.69.
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