omestic stock markets suffered sharp losses on Monday with benchmark indices slumping more than 4 per cent tracking a selloff in global markets, as investors panicked about the severity of coronavirus pandemic amid fears of recession. The S&P BSE Sensex index plummeted as much as 1,718.81 points to hit 35,857.81 on the downside in mid-morning deals, and the broader NSE Nifty benchmark slumped to as low as 10,525.45, down 464 points from the previous close. Those were the lowest intraday levels recorded since February 2019 and December 2018 for the Sensex and Nifty respectively, as a selloff across sectors - led by financial, metal, energy and IT stocks - weighed on the markets.
