MARKET CLOSING UPDATES: Due to declines in oil and gas and banking shares amid worries about a further increase in interest rates, the benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty on February 20 gave up early gains to settle more than 0.5 percent lower.

The BSE Sensex dropped for a second straight session and ended the day at 60,691.54 down 311.03 points (0.51%). The index increased by about 290 points to reach the day's high of 61,290.19 after starting the day higher at 61,112.84.

Selling in index heavyweights Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank Maruti, HDFC Finance, HDFC Bank, and Reliance Industries, however, caused the barometer to drop to a low of 60,607.02.

The NSE Nifty fell 99.60 points or 0.56% to end at 17,844.60 as 30 of its constituents declined while 20 advanced.

Among the major laggards from the Sensex pack were Maruti, HDFC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, Reliance Industries, Nestle, and ICICI Bank.

The biggest winners were Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, Tata Motors, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Power Grid, and UltraTech Cement.

RUPEE DOLLAR: The Indian rupee appreciated by 10 paise to close at 82.72  against the U.S. dollar today, as the American currency retreated from its elevated levels. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the Rupee opened at 82.69 against the American currency and finally settled at 82.72 against the greenback, registering a gain of 10 paise over its previous close of 82.82.

International Markets: China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and other Asian markets all finished in the black. Market activity in Europe was negative. On Friday, the American stock markets came to a mixed conclusion.

Crude Oil: Benchmark Brent crude for global oil prices increased 0.95% to $83.79 per barrel.

FPIs: According to market data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth 624.61 crore rupees on Friday.

Pakistan economic crisis: Inflation high, Firms closed, Forex falls

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