MARKET LIVE: Sensex dips 400 points; HDFC twins drag, Piramal falls 6%

The Indian indices started on a weak note on Tuesday, tracking weak cues from Asian markets. The indication by the Centre that the nationwide lockdown could be extended beyond May 17, albeit with eased restrictions for businesses, also weighed on the sentiment. 

The S&P BSE Sensex slipped 440 points, or 1.4 per cent, to 31,100 levels, and the Nifty50 index was around 9,120 levels.

RESULTS TODAY
 

A total of 11 companies, including Nestle, Havells, and Bandhan Bank are scheduled to announce their March quarter results.

GLOBAL CUES

On the Wall Street, the S&P 500 closed slightly higher but otherwise Dow Jones and Nasdaq Composite both ended lower in overnight deals. Asian equities also slipped early Tuesday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were down 1.8 per cent while Japan's Nikkei was off 0.3 per cent. Australian ASX 200 index also fell 1.4 per cent.

In commodity markets, Brent crude was up half a per cent to $29.78 a barrel. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has announced it will slash oil output by another 1 million barrels.