Stock market slides in early trade; Sensex slumps more than 675 points

Equity benchmark indices plummeted in early trade on February 14 and Sensex slumped more than 675 points tracking negative cues in the global market as higher than expected inflation numbers in the U.S. hit investor sentiments.

Equity benchmark indices plummeted in early trade on February 14 and Sensex slumped more than 675 points tracking negative cues in the global market as higher than expected inflation numbers in the U.S. hit investor sentiments.

The broader 50-share Nifty tumbled 187.85 points or 0.86% to 21,555.40 points while the 30-share Sensex crashed 675.79 points or 0.94% to 70,879.40 points.

The latest inflation data from the U.S. has upended expectations of when the Federal Reserve might start slashing interest rates.

As many as 27 scrips in the Sensex index declined. Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Wipro, HDFC Bank and TCS were among the major losers in the early trade. In the Nifty pack, 44 stocks were in the red.

"January's hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation report threw the financial market into a tailspin on February 13 and upended investors' expectations about how soon and by how much the Federal Reserve might start cutting interest rates," Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities, said.

In the U.S., the consumer price index rose 0.3% in January and the core rate — which excludes volatile food and energy costs — rose 0.4%, a tick above Wall Street expectations.