NIFTY, SENSEX SLIP AS VIRUS CASES SPIRAL

BENGALURU: Indian shares fell on Thursday led by consumer stocks, as coronavirus cases in the country continued to spike steadily despite a strict weekslong nationwide lockdown that has hurt economic growth. The NSE Nifty 50 index ended 0.78% lower at 9,199.05, while the S&P BSE Sensex settled down 0.76% at 31,443.38. Both indexes are down about 24% in 2020. The Nifty FMCG index that tracks consumer goods producers fell 1.41% with 11, out of its 15 stocks closing lower. Biscuit maker Britannia Industries Ltd shed 2.4%, while Hindustan Unilever closed 0.9% lower after GSK sold a more than $3 billion stake in the company in India’s largest ever block trade.