Sensex drops over 100 points, Nifty slips below 10,400; Fortis rallies 4%

NEW DELHI: Domestic stocks started Wednesday on a shaky wicket after dismissal of US Secretary of State roiled markets worldwide. The BSE Sensex dropped over 100 points to 33,766 while the broader NSE Nifty slipped below the crucial 10,400, down 32 points at 10,394.

Sentiment across the globe soured after US President Donald Trump fired his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, extending a shake-up of his administration, amid growing fears of protectionism. Trump announced he would replace Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Fortis Healthcare was trading 5 per cent up at Rs 160 on the BSE after reports that Malaysia's IHH Healthcare was set to launch a voluntary open offer to buy non-promoter shares of Fortis Healthcare in the next few days, nine months after walking out of bilateral negotiations with promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh who were then in control. PSU banks once again proved to be a soft spot.