Key barometers were trading near day's low in early afternoon trade. At 12:21 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 114.20 points or 0.29% at 39,161.44. The Nifty 50 index was down 42.25 points or 0.36% at 11,744.90.

After opening higher, the key indices reversed trend in morning trade. Sentiment was fragile amid negative cues from other Asian shares. Some range bound trading was witnessed in mid-morning trade. Fresh bout of selling pressure emerged in early afternoon trade.

Among secondary barometers, the BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.83%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.93%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was weak. On BSE, 740 shares rose and 1557 shares fell. A total of 142 shares were unchanged.

Local search service Just Dial was down 3.39%. Media reported that Just Dial faced a data breach on Wednesday, with data of more than 100 million users, including names, email ids, mobile numbers, gender, date of birth and addresses publicly available.

Just Dial, however, clarified during trading hours today, 18 April 2019, that there has been no data breach of 100 million users, etc. as claimed in reports or otherwise. All sensitive user information including any financial information as well as any user passwords are protected as per industry practices (further, majority of JD platforms works on OTP-based authentication). Financial information is stored in double-encrypted format and regularly audited by PCI DSS compliant auditing firm.

However, the older versions of Just Dial apps, which currently cater to only a very small fraction of users, were using certain APIs by which basis a particular mobile number entered, certain basic user details were accessible (no financial information was accessible). This vulnerability which existed on the older app platforms is also now fixed. Newer (current) versions of app where majority of users are available do not have the above vulnerability, the company added.

Metal shares declined. Jindal Steel & Power (down 3.68%), Vedanta (down 2.89%), Hindalco Industries (down 2.59%), Steel Authority of India (down 2.56%), National Aluminium Company (down 2.06%), Tata Steel (down 1.76%), Hindustan Copper (down 1.4%), JSW Steel (down 1.35%) and Hindustan Zinc (down 0.04%), edged lower. NMDC was up 0.48%.

Most FMCG shares fell. Tata Global Beverages (down 1.51%), Jyothy Laboratories (down 1.05%), Britannia Industries (down 0.77%), Dabur India (down 0.49%), Colgate Palmolive (India) (down 0.44%), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care (down 0.15%), Hindustan Unilever (down 0.12%), Bajaj Corp (down 0.07%) and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (down 0.01%), edged lower. Godrej Consumer Products (up 0.01%), Nestle India (up 0.1%) and Marico (up 0.95%), edged higher.

On the political front, voting in the second phase of the 2019 general elections began today, 18 April 2019, with 95 constituencies across 11 states and one Union Territory going to polls.

The 2019 Indian general election, which is scheduled to be held in seven phases, kicked off on 11 April 2019. It will conclude on 19 May 2019. The counting of votes will be conducted on 23 May, and on the same day the results will be declared

Overseas, Asian shares traded lower on Thursday. Chinese government data showed the country's economy grew 6.4% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2019, maintaining the pace seen in the last quarter of 2018 as factory output picked up steam.

US stocks closed lower Wednesday as the health-care sector slumped on concerns over potential adverse impact from future policy changes.

The US trade deficit fell 3.4% in February to the lowest level in eight months, the Commerce Department said. Meanwhile, wholesale inventories in the US rose a mild 0.2% in February and sales increased 0.3%.

Meanwhile, most of the US Federal Reserve's 12 district banks reported economic activity expanded at a "slight-to-moderate" pace in March and early April, according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book report, released Wednesday.

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